The Importance of Children's Nutrition

Natural Health - Children's Health & Wellbeing

Is there a connection between nutrition and school performance?

It has been said that nutrient deficiency is somehow connected to poor academic performance. But how is this possible? Quite simply, the human brain requires a large number of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and amino acids in order to produce neurotransmitters and other important brain compounds. A lack of nutrients can result in chemical abnormalities and missed connections causing a variety of problems for the functioning of the brain and therefore the whole body..

Brain science has revealed that it doesn’t actually take much of a nutrition deficit to have a major effect. Brain chemistry can change as a result of a lack of a single nutrient, giving rise not only to diminished mental acuity, but also to mental/emotional disturbances and behavioural disorders such as hyperactivity, Attention Deficit Disorder, anxiety, depression, eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), drug and alcohol addiction, autism and violence.

The biggest questions is - if lack of nutrients can have these sort of results, is it possible for the brain repair itself as a result of improved nutrition. It would appear that the answer is a resounding “yes.” As a result of changes in school diet in the early 1980s in New York City schools, the average performance of New York schools rose from the 41st percentile to the 51st percentile – a large gain that statistically could have no other explanation.

A more recent study from England of children with attention deficit disorder demonstrated the beneficial effects of imposing a regular, nutritious diet. For a period of three to four weeks, the children were put on a very restricted diet, generally consisting of: turkey, lamb, rice, potato, banana, pear, various vegetables, bottled water, sunflower oil and milk-free margarine.

The results were astonishing, 76% of parents reported a genuine improvement in behavior. The rest reported no change. Equally interesting, for the children who improved, the subsequent introduction of food additives into their diets resulted in an immediate deterioration in behavior for 70% of the participants.

What does this tell us? Firstly do not expect your child to be able to achieve and retain a high performance academically if you are feeding them low performance food. No nutrition = limited performance. If they eat junk food continuously then they will achieve junk grades, this has, without a doubt, been proven by this research.

Parents who are concerned, about the food that their children eat, and are looking for professional assistance, may want to consider a residential program where children are taught new habits, and trained to make much smarter decisions about food and nutrition.

However, I would like to add that at the end of the day the responsibility of your child’s health and nutrition (diet) are yours and yours alone. Whatever the circumstances there is always a way to provide your family with a balanced and nutritious diet.

From my own experience, having brought up three children as a single parent, I know how difficult it is but if you provide your children with the nutrition they need their behaviour is better, their academic performance is greater and they are much nicer children. I would like to say to those mothers who are alone and find it hard to manage, that often the most expensive food is not always the most nutritious and the pre-packed although sometimes the cheapest has possibly the lowest nutritional value.

Once a week I would buy fresh fruit and vegetables, along with the basics as milk, butter, cheese etc. along with all of the ingredients necessary to bake things myself rather than buy – such as biscuits and cakes – as I knew exactly what was going in them and their nutritional value. Believe me children will always want something sweet and if you bake it yourself it makes it rather special. You do not have to be a wizz in the kitchen, believe me I was not, I always looked out for the easiest recipes around. Don’t forget that you can always supplement the protein intake with beans and pulses – as in stews, soups and casseroles which makes it cheaper and no less beneficial. It really is possible to make almost everything yourself – I even went as far as to make ice-cream – it was rock hard but tasted great, I baked cakes, biscuits, bread, I bottled fruit and vegetables, especially when they were in season and cheap, if I had any left over, I froze extra soup or casserole for another day I grew vegetable – even in pots, I made jam and marmelade. It can, believe it or not, be fun trying to think of ways to make things yourself or preserve things ‘without additives’. Certainly worth a try when your children’s health and future is at stake.

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