The Brain in Health and Disease

Overview

If we prepare to drive a Mercedes Benz and are told that it operates on premium gas, we will use premium gas or risk eventually destroying the car's engine and other operating components. When we try and drive our brains on regular gas instead of the premium gas it needs, we are doing the same thing to our body's engine. We are creating wear by not providing it the foods it needs to prevent damage.

Our brains need wholesome foods that incorporate a mixture of key ingredients. Two key players that have emerged as important nutrients are fats and carbohydrates. Fats in the form of fatty acids have been identified as the nutrient responsible for development of the protective covering that surrounds neurons (nerve cells). Fatty acids are considered to be the "backbone" of the brain's structural development because they greatly influence the brains ability to communicate with other systems in the body. ³ The insulating fat layer around the neuron is necessary for rapid transmission of signals from one nerve cell to another nerve cell. ⁴ When damage occurs to this protective layer of fat, transmission of signals from neuron to neuron can be affected. Carbohydrates are needed to supply the brain energy. The neurons need this energy to transmit various signals throughout the body and to produce enzymes and other proteins that are needed for cell function.

In today's society everyone wants something that is quick and can be eaten fast. However all of this quick, fast food is affecting our children's brains. Today's school districts and teachers are being held responsible for the academic success of their students. Annual yearly progress reports have become the marker for whether a school is considered to be a good school or a mediocre school. The "No Child Left Behind" laws require every district in the nation to make annual progress by ensuring that a certain percentage of students pass state mandated test. Just as we hold school districts responsible for educating our students, we must help to hold our students accountable for making good nutritional choices. Patrick Holford stated "Many of our children are struggling to keep up. They're living with constant tiredness, inattention, erratic behavior, anxiety, stress, depression, and sleeping problems." He goes on to say, "But when he's concentrating poorly, behaving badly or is struggling to read, does poor nourishment cross our minds? ⁵ The fact of the matter is that all of these behaviors he has described are "governed by a network of interconnecting brain cells, each of which depends profoundly on what children put into their mouths." ⁶ Without a firm foundation in the form of a brain that is structurally sound and highly functional, students will continue to struggle. Helping students understand the brain-diet connection is another method of helping them reach their maximum academic potential, emotional stability, and physical capabilities. Helping them understand that their control center, the brain, requires premium fuel not regular fuel to develop and operate at its maximum level, may just raise the bar for thousands of our children.