The Effects of Nutrition on Cognition throughout the Lifespan The healthcare industry is changing its tune from care based on reaction to disease, to a focus more on prevention of disease and promotion of good health. A large component of this focus will be on nutrition due to its key role in sustaining physical and mental health (Kamath, Venkatappa, & Sparshadeep, 2017, para 2). Historically, nutrition was thought to only play a small role in health maintenance, but is now showing potential to be more beneficial than medicinal efforts (Kris-Etherton et al., 2014, para 1). Through ongoing research, adequate nutrition is essential to providing a solid foundation for growth of cognition in children, all the way through the lifespan, to affect the longevity of cognition in older adults and proper nutrition education must be supported by the role of the nurse and others within the healthcare team.
Effects of Cognition in Malnourished Children
There is evidence that nutrition during the school age is a critical period for the foundation of cognitive growth and advancement according to a study done by Kamath, Venkatappa, & Sparshadeep (2017). A standard of essential growth in children is set by the World Health Organization (WHO), categorized by percent growth according to weight and height of child. A child must be within the average standards to be considered adequately nourished. Well below the average of these standards is considered malnourished and the brain function of a
In addition, According to Gabe Duverge in the article, The Impact of School Lunch on Student Performance, “Nutritional deficiencies in zinc, B vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids and protein have been shown to affect the cognitive development of children. There is also evidence to suggest that diets with high amounts of trans and saturated fats can have a negative impact on cognition(Duverge 19).” In other words, students are likely to score lower in arithmetic and writing than those children who eat nutrient dense meals. States continue to set up more and more rigorous academic standards and many children are unable to keep up. This often suggest that children are not focused enough, or that they are not smart enough. However, most people do not realize the major impact nutrition has on learning. Expectations from students are very high, so they need nutritional foods that will help them, and not food that will negatively impact them. We cannot expect weak and tired children to running around and doing hard work, so we cannot expect malnourished children to perform well in school.
In an article titled, “Feeding the Brain for Academic Success: How Nutrition and Hydration Boost Learning,” by Philippa Norman M.D. 2015, the author argues the importance of a healthy, well balanced diet for a student to function properly in a school setting. In this article, Dr. Norman talks about how the brain is composed of 100 billion neurons which drive our thinking, learning, feeling and states of being. She explains how important it is for neurons to have good fats, proteins, complex carbohydrates, micronutrients – vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients – and water. Norman walks the reader through the importance of these specific nutrients in order to drive the learning functions of neurons. She explains how neurons connect in the brain,
Just as nutrition can have drastic effects on one’s physical health, nutrition can affect one’s mental health as well. The most common mental disorders that are prevalent in numerous countries are depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The dietary pattern of the general population in many countries reflect that they are often deficient in many nutrients, especially essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Deficiency in these vitamins can lead to depression.
Describe nutrition, including nutritional requirements using recommended guidelines from public health sources associated with nutrition.
I’ve always had a longstanding, deep-rooted love for food. I grew up in a big family where food was always the centerpiece
What I learned about taking Nutrition and Performance that was beneficial for me would be how food and energy can impact my performance and fitness throughout my life and also learning how to build a healthy eating plan by including the main three food groups Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat into into my diet. An example of a concept I learned that benefitted me would be in the course required textbook “Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook fifth Edition” where Clark talked about creating a “Winning Food Plan” to prevent hunger and curving your desire of intaking food on the go, for example Clark stated “When people get too hungry, they tend to care less about the nutritional quality of the food they eat and more about grabbing whatever food
Nutrition is a key component of any muscle building a fat loss phase. It still amazes me how many people do not take nutrition seriously. That is why I think that it is important that I share with you some of the choices that are available to you today.
I became fascinated by the connections between nutrition and health at the age of sixteen. My family has a history of high blood pressure, diabetes and sickle cell. I was diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia at a young age and spent periods of my childhood in and out of hospital. During my most serious sickle cell crisis, I met a dietitian who explained to me the connection between my diet and my disease. She changed my perspective on eating for the better, which sparked my ambition to aim for a career in Dietetics and Nutrition within the NHS, so that I can replicate this experience for others.
By not getting enough nutrients children tend to have cognitive problems. It is very important to eat a proper breakfast because our body needs energy to start the day. A balance diet is important for a proper nutrition for our well-being of our body and mind. Children tend to do better in school if they get a proper breakfast starting the day. In this author opinion, by not having a proper breakfast the day will be longer and stressful being that we will be thinking about what we need to eat. Nevertheless, undernutrition and over nutrition play an important role in children development. Undernutrition, affects poor developing countries because there is
Proper nutrition is essential for the long-term health of children. A healthy diet helps protect against all forms of malnutrition that can lead to nutrient deficiencies, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic disease. (1a) Giving a child a supportive and adequate nutritional start has a positive impact on their not only their physical development but also their mental and social development (1). A study completed in 2013 investigated the intake of 5200 5th grade student and tested their academic abilities. This study found that students with a higher intake of vegetables and lower caloric intake of fat were significantly less likely to perform poorly on academic assessments. (11)
Why is proper nutrition important? There are approximately 7 billion people in the world, and approximately 460 million (15%) of the world’s population are malnourished. According to the textbook Exploring Lifespan Development by Laura E. Berk, about 27 percent of the world’s children suffer from malnutrition before age 5 (World Health Organization, 2010). Toddler nutrition is important because it can impact the child’s development for the rest of the child’s life. During the first couple of years of life, the child uses a lot of energy and calories as their bodies grow and develop exponentially. Good nutrition is also essential because during the first three years, the brain develops intensively from 25 percent of its adulthood size to about 80 percent of its full size (Schram). Poor nutrition can have an adverse effect, either short-term, or long-term effects on the child’s development.
Health is a widely used term and every person’s definition of health and being healthy can be vastly different. There are many different ways to achieve good health and to be healthy, but one thing in common that is important no matter what, is nutrition. Nutrition greatly influences our health and can be detrimental in preventing or treating a disease. Prevention is crucial to stay healthy and free of illness and disease and nutrition plays a huge part in this process. Nutrition is important in all stages of life-from pregnancy, birth, toddler, children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly. Pregnancy is arguably one of the most important phase in life, simply because a new human is being created. It is important to start life off right and that can be achieved with proper nutrition.
H.D. seems to be an overall healthy adolescent; however her eating habits do worry me a bit. She seems to be a little bit obsessed with what she puts into her body and her overall body image. Wanting to be healthy is not the problem. “Health care professionals are concerned not only about adolescents who are obese but also about adolescents who have unhealthy attitudes toward eating and toward their body image” (Steinberg, 2016, p. 36). It’s not that H.D. is obese, or even overweight; it’s that some of the things she was saying was leading to a belief that her body image is not strong. She mentioned ensuring she drinks a green smoothie everyday and how she rarely eats lunch at school.
Good nutrition is very important for children in all areas of their life but it is a key factor in how they perform in the classroom. One study showed that “taller more healthy children have higher levels of verbal