Taking care and maintaining brain health is important for everyone, but it is even more crucial for young kids! This is because 90% of brain development happens from age 1 to 5. Here are 4 food to incorporate into your child’s diet for optimal brain development.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which are known for their benefits to healthy brain development. Research has shown that high consumption of Omega 3 fatty acids have been linked to intelligence and cognitive ability, while lower levels are linked to brain dysfunctions, ADHD, and even abnormal brain development. Incorporating pumpkin seeds into your diet is an affordable way to boost your child’s brain health!
Blueberry
Apart from being known to prevent age-related health risks, research has also shown that blueberries help stabilize brain function and protect neural tissues from stress. One of the ways to incorporate blueberries into your child’s diet is feeding them blueberry puree. It is important to note that, according to doctors, no berries should be fed to a baby under the age of 1 year old.
Blackstrap Molasses
Blackstrap molasses is a by-product during the process where sucrose is crystallized and removed from cane sugar. Molasses contains manganese, potassium and selenium which are crucial to boosting brain health. Just 2 tablespoons of Molasses daily will provide your child with enough nutrients and minerals to boost brain health.
Asparagus
Folate, a Vitamin B is one of the critical vitamins for proper brain function. Folate helps to regulate elevated levels of homocysteine (an amino acid you get from meat consumption), required to keep your brain functioning healthily. One serving of Asparagus contains half of the daily folate requirement. Research by Tufts University have shown that adults that consume enough folate and B12 performed better on a test of response speed and mental fliexibility than that of adults that do not consume enough folate and B12.
