Nutrients and growth factors play roles in brain development. The rapidly developing brain of children is more vulnerable to nutrient insufficiency yet also demonstrates its greatest degree of plasticity.
Presence of optimal nutrition is one of the important factors that influence early brain development. All nutrients are important for brain growth and function; however, certain nutrients have particularly significant effects during early brain development than others.
Here is the list of vital nutrients important for brain development and the food containing them.
| Nutrient | Food sources |
|---|---|
|
Omega-3 fatty acids (for example, docosahexaenoic acid) |
Fish (rawas), flax seeds (alsi), chia (sabja), kiwi fruit, walnuts (akhrot) |
|
Curcumin |
Turmeric |
|
Flavonoids |
Cocoa, green tea, citrus fruits (lemon, orange, sweet lime), dark chocolate |
|
Saturated fat |
Butter, ghee, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil, dairy products (cream, cheese), meat |
|
B vitamins |
B1: Cereals (esp. whole grain), brown rice, green vegetables, potatoes, liver, eggs B2: Dairy products, leafy vegetables, legumes, liver, yeast, mushrooms B3: Meat, fish, whole-grain cereal, legumes, mushrooms, nut B5: Meat, whole grain cereals B6: Meat, fish, legumes, nuts, bananas, potatoes B7: Eggs, liver, leafy vegetables B9: Leafy vegetables, legumes, citrus fruits B12: Meat, fish and other animal products |
|
Vitamin D |
Fish liver, fatty fish (Rohu, Catla), mushrooms, fortified products, milk, soy milk |
|
Vitamin E |
Asparagus (Shatavari), nuts, peanuts, spinach, vegetable oils, wheat germ |
|
Choline |
Egg yolks, chicken |
|
Calcium, zinc, selenium |
Calcium: milk. Zinc: a small amount in beans, nuts, almonds, whole grains, and sunflower seeds. Selenium: nuts, cereals, meat, fish, eggs |
|
Copper |
cocoa, black pepper |
|
Iron |
Fish, poultry, lentils, beans |
Reference
- Georgieff, MK. Nutrition and the developing brain: Nutrient priorities and measurement. Am. J. Clin. Nutr.2007;85:614–20.
- Gómez-Pinilla F. Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008;9(7):568–578.
- Ackman RG, McLeod C, Rakshit S, Misra KK. Lipids and fatty acids of five fresh water food fishes of India. J Food Lipids. 2002;9:127–45.
- Kennedy DO. B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy—A Review. Nutrients. 2016;8:68.