Body & Brain are the two key foundation stones of any child's health. There's playtime, martial arts, dancing, and sports to boost the body, but what about the brain?
What if we told you boosting the brain was simple as incorporating some brain-boosting foods in the diet. Let's unlock the wonders of these powerful, potent, and undoubtedly the best brain foods to supercharge your child's mind.
Food As A Tool To Increase Brain Power
Your brain comprises 2% of your body weight but uses about 20% of your calories. Thus, using food as a brain booster for kids is best to promote good brain health and promote alertness, memory, and concentration.
There are a lot of products and supplements in the market that claims to be brain-boosting foods, but most of them are not backed by proper scientific evidence. It is essential to understand that there is no magic pill to enhance brain function.
Consuming a nutrition-rich, balanced diet, drinking adequate water, and maintaining a healthy sleeping cycle all affect brain performance. We'll help you master the first!
Best Brain Foods for Kids
We've compiled our list of the top 11 brain-boosting foods that can help take your child's brain to its full potential and help them perform and feel better.
1. Apple
All parents know that apples are the ultimate superfood for overall health and wellbeing. But did you know that apples also make for the ultimate brain booster for kids?
Benefits of Apples For Brain Health
- High In Quercetin
Oxidation and inflammation of neurons in the brain can lead to the death of cells. Quercetin, an antioxidant found in apples, has been proven by studies to help combat cell death and improve brain health.
- Rich In Positive Neurotransmitters
A study has shown that certain neurotransmitters in apples (even apple juice) impact the brain's capacity to memorize and can greatly improve your child's memory.
- Protects Cells In The Long Run
Healthy diet choices in childhood determine the quality of life your child leads. Apples, when consumed regularly, can reduce the risks of Alzheimer's and dementia later in life.
All-in-all, apples make for a great sweet treat that also packs a strong punch of brain-boosting benefits.
DHA Brain Health Gummies
Looking for a tasty and healthy way to support your child's brain development? Look no further than Little Joys DHA Brain Health Gummies! These gummies are packed with essential nutrients like DHA and choline, which boost memory✅, concentration✅, and overall brain health. ✅
With four delicious fruits and veggies and zero added sugar, they're a treat that both parents and kids can feel good about. So why wait? Give your child's brain the boost it needs!🔥
2. Turmeric
An everyday spice in the Indian household, turmeric may not get as much credit as it deserves for its brain-boosting and even life-changing benefits.
Benefits of Turmeric For Brain Health
- Directly Benefits Brain Cells
The active ingredient of turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin is known to cross the blood-brain barrier. This means that it can directly enter the brain and benefit the cells greatly.
- Improves Growth Of Cells
Curcumin in turmeric boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a kind of growth hormone that helps brain cells grow. It also helps delay age-related mental decline benefiting health for the long run.
- Keeps Depression Away
Turmeric, specifically curcumin, is known to boost serotonin and dopamine. Both of these are known to improve mood. Thus, it also helps enhance your child's mood and keep them away from mental health issues like depression.
You can choose curcumin supplements for even more concentrated benefits for even better brain-boosting results.
3. Dark Chocolate
It is a fact known to all that children love chocolates. But incorporating the right chocolate in the right quantity can be a powerful brain booster for kids.
Benefits of Dark Chocolate For Brain Health
- Rich In Antioxidants
Any antioxidant-rich food can be considered the best brain food because the brain is highly susceptible to oxidative stress. This stress contributes to poor brain health, which can be avoided by consuming antioxidants.
- Increases Brain Power
A 2013 review found that cocoa flavonoids can encourage blood vessel and neuron growth in parts of the brain involved in learning and memory. They might also help with the stimulation of blood flow in the brain of children.
- Proven Brain-Boosting Effects
A 2018 study says that dark chocolate has brain-boosting effects. The study used imaging methods to look at activity in the brain after the participants ate chocolate with 70% cacao.
Who knew dark chocolate could be one of the best brain foods? Go on, treat your child to some guilt-free now.
4. Blueberries
Apart from being an absolute sweet delight to eat, blueberries are also an awesome food to increase brain power in children.
Benefits of Blueberries For Brain Health
- Reduces Inflammation
Blueberries contain anthocyanins, a group of plant compounds packed with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These compounds bring their benefits and improve brain performance.
- Powers Cell Communication
Some antioxidants in blueberries are said to accumulate in the brain. These then help improve the communication between brain cells, greatly benefiting your child's overall potential for achievements.
- Proven Brain Booster For Kids
A review of 11 studies stated blueberries could help improve memory and other cognitive processes in children and young adults.
Blueberries can be served in several ways by adding them to your breakfast cereal, or smoothie, or just having it as a simple snack that your kid will enjoy!
Brain Health Kit
Looking for an all-in-one solution to support your child's brain development? Little Joys has got you covered with their Brain Health Kit! Enriched with DHA, an essential nutrient for brain development, this kit combines the goodness of DHA Brain Gummies and NutriMix Gummies. 🔥
With a delicious chocolate flavor✅ and gummy format✅, your kids will ask for more on their own - no more fussy pills❌or bitter syrups!❌ Give your child the brain-boosting nutrients they need in a fun and tasty way! 😋
5. Fish
Fishes like trout, salmon, herring, sardines, and albacore tuna are all rich in essential fatty acids that can directly help brain development in children.
Benefits of Fish For Brain Health
- Rich in Healthy Fats
60% of the brain is made up of fat. Almost half of this fat is omega-3 fatty acids. The brain requires omega-3s to build nerve cells and brain cells, which are essential for learning and memory in kids and adults alike.
- Increases Gray Matter
Certain research suggests that kids who eat fish regularly have more brain grey matter. Grey matter consists of the nerve cells which control decision-making, emotions, and memory.
Fish makes for a delicious yet potent brain booster for kids. Serve it in moderation with a balanced diet for the best impact.
7. Broccoli
Broccoli is a powerful plant that is packed with a lot of benefits. While it may take some creativity to convince your child to eat them, it may be worth it.
Benefits of Broccoli For Brain Health
- Rich in Vitamin K
Broccoli is high in Vitamin K, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities. Broccoli delivers 100% of the recommended daily intake in a single cup (160 grams) serving.
- Essential Building Block
Vitamin K is crucial to the brain's complete development as it helps form Sphingolipids, a type of fat that's densely packed into brain cells and is foundational to good brain health.
- Protects Against Brain Damage
Apart from Vitamin K, broccoli has several compounds that are full of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help protect the brain against damage.
So, put on your creative chef hat and think of fun ways to incorporate this superfood into your super baby's diet.
8. Nuts
Is your kid nuts about nuts? Well, it may just be one of the best brain foods you can serve.
Benefits of Nuts For Brain Health
- Packed With Nutrients
Eating nuts can enhance your kid's memory. Nuts are said to have nutrients like antioxidants, healthy fats, and Vitamin E, which help maintain brain health and even help slow mental decline in the long run.
- Benefits More Than Just The Brain
Research shows that nuts can improve heart health. At the same time having good heart health is also proven to lead to a healthy brain.
Walnuts, in particular, are said to be the best brain food as they are packed with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.
DHA Brain Health Gummies
Looking for a tasty and healthy way to support your child's brain development? Look no further than Little Joys DHA Brain Health Gummies! These gummies are packed with essential nutrients like DHA and choline, which boost memory✅, concentration✅, and overall brain health. ✅
With four delicious fruits and veggies and zero added sugar, they're a treat that both parents and kids can feel good about. So why wait? Give your child's brain the boost it needs!🔥
9. Pumpkin Seeds
The best part about seeds is that while they are filled with micronutrients of great benefit, they are also very easy to disguise into your child's diet.
Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds For Brain Health
- Rich in Zinc
Zinc is a vital element for nerve signaling and the overall maintenance of brain health. A zinc deficiency is linked to neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and depression.
- Packed with Magnesium
Low magnesium levels are linked to neurological diseases like depression, migraine, and epilepsy. This is because magnesium is crucial to brain functions of memory and learning- both areas where children should excel.
- Loaded with Copper & Iron
A balanced presence of copper helps control nerve signals in the brain and aid optimal function. Healthy iron levels reduce the brain fog that children may sometimes face.
The micronutrients in pumpkin seeds are very important for brain health in children. Get your hands on some pumpkin seeds and grind them into a powder to supplement your child's smoothies, soups, and meals.
10. Oranges
They can be sweet and sour, but nothing takes away the fact that oranges are the ultimate food to increase brain power.
Benefits of Oranges For Brain Health
- Rich in Vitamin C
Studies suggest that higher levels of Vitamin C in the blood helps with attention, memory, focus, and decision making. A medium orange a day can suffice your child's need for Vitamin C for the entire day.
- Prevents Cell Damage
Being the powerful antioxidant it is, Vitamin C helps fight off free radicals and protect your child's brain cells from damage now and in the future.
It's not only an apple a day with its benefits; an orange a day can be just as beneficial as a brain-boosting food.
11. Green Leafy Vegetables
Don't our children love to hate them! Say what they may, green leafy vegetables should form a part of your child's diet, no debate.
Benefits of Green Leafy Vegetables For Brain Health
- Dense in Nutrients
Green leafy vegetables like kale, lettuce, and spinach contain brain-protecting compounds like folate, flavonoids, carotenoids, and Vitamins E and K1, all of which support your child's brain function.
- Proven To Increase Cognitive Score
Green leafy vegetables are rich in folate. A study showed that kids who had proper folate levels had better cognitive scores than kids who didn't have adequate amounts of folate.
- Improves Cognitive Function
A diet high with carotenoid-rich foods like leafy green vegetables can boost cognitive function in children. Hence, leafy vegetables are a brain booster for kids.
While we understand that getting your children to eat green leafy vegetables may be challenging, you should include them in your diet, even if that is infrequent.
Brain Health Kit
Looking for an all-in-one solution to support your child's brain development? Little Joys has got you covered with their Brain Health Kit! Enriched with DHA, an essential nutrient for brain development, this kit combines the goodness of DHA Brain Gummies and NutriMix Gummies. 🔥
With a delicious chocolate flavor✅ and gummy format✅, your kids will ask for more on their own - no more fussy pills❌or bitter syrups!❌ Give your child the brain-boosting nutrients they need in a fun and tasty way! 😋
12. Eggs
One of the most versatile foods there is, other than being a yummy breakfast addition, eggs are also one of the best brain foods out there.
Benefits of Eggs For Brain Health
- Offer Many Nutrients
Eggs are a good source of vitamins like B6 and B12, choline, and folate. These improve overall health and well-being and benefit brain health in children in particular.
- Improve Mood & Memory
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that the body creates using choline which eggs are rich in. This neurotransmitter is responsible for regulating memory and mood in your child's brain.
Incorporate eggs in your kid's diet for its many benefits to their brain and mental well-being.
Which Foods Are Bad for the Brain?
If the brain can be boosted so well by certain foods, it is obvious that certain foods may not be the best choice if you wish to increase your child's brainpower. We recommend that you reduce the consumption of these items as much as possible or at least practice moderation in serving them to your children.
- Sugary Drinks & Sodas
- Fried Foods
- Refined Carbohydrates (white bread, white rice)
- Red Meat
- Artificial Sweeteners (aspartame)
- High-Mercury Fishes (swordfish)
The diet choices you make for your child determine their physical health and their brain health. It can affect key factors important in their childhood like learning, memory, and moods. We hope this list helps you add some flavorful brain boosters to your kid's diet.
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References
- Sabine Hein, Adrian Robert Whyte, June 2019; Systematic Review of the Effects of Blueberry on Cognitive Performance as We Age - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30941401/
- Astrid Nehlig, March 2013; The neuroprotective effects of cocoa flavanol and its influence on cognitive performance- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3575938/
- Alexander Victor Anand David, Radhakrishnan Arulmoli, July 2016; Overviews of Biological Importance of Quercetin: A Bioactive Flavonoid - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5214562/
