As parents, we strive to provide our children with a well-balanced diet so that they may get their daily nutritional requirements. Proper nutrition is important in supporting brain development, amongst other healthy benefits.
Do you know if your child’s diet could be lacking?
A typical diet for children today includes breads, grains, cereals, milk and some dairy products; chicken, beef and other proteins; fruits and vegetables; and perhaps tidbits like sweets and cakes. While most of these foods are part of the Food Guide Pyramid in recommended amounts, the typical diet does not provide adequate amounts of an important brain food: DHA.
Here’s a visual representation of relative DHA content in commonly- and uncommonly-consumed food.
*Please note that these are regular servings of common foods and that measurements may vary. It is recommended that children aged 1 - 3 years consume 70mg DHA a day, and that children aged 4 - 8 years consume 90mg DHA a day.
*Please note that this is a simplified visual demo only intended to aid in the understanding of the subject matter.
Many leading scientific organisations have recognised the importance of DHA in brain development.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM), a scientific advisory body to the United States government, recommends 700mg of a-linolenic acid (a precursor of DHA of which approximately 10% is converted to DHA) in the daily intake for children aged 1 to 3 years³.
IOM Recommended adequate daily levels of α-linolenic acid (based on median intakes of children)
1 – 3 yrs old
4 – 8 yrs old
Daily intake of α-linolenic acid
700mg
900mg
Levels of α-linolenic acid converted into DHA and/or EPA
70mg
90mg
3 servings of Enfagrow A+
42mg
3 servings of Enfakid A+
54mg
Studies indicate that the presence of DHA in brain cell membranes support efficient communication among brain cells¹, which is the basis for memory and learning. While conversion of the omega-3 fatty acid ALA to DHA does occur naturally in the body, studies have shown that this process occurs at a limited rate which may not be adequate². Read the full abstract of this research paper here.
Thus, dietary intake of DHA is important. Ensure that your child’s diet includes sources rich in DHA! Examples of foods that are rich in DHA are milk, eggs, fish like sardines, salmon, mackerel, red mullet, bluefish and other seafood.
Innis S. Dietary n3 fatty acids and brain development. J of Nutr 2007; 137: 855-859
2.
Burdge, G.C., and Calder, P.C. Conversion of a-linolenic acid to longer-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in human adults. Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 45: 581-597, 2005.
3.
NationalAcademy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients) (2005). Chapter 8 – Dietary Fats: Total Fat and Fatty Acids. Accessed February 14, 2008.
