It never ceases to amaze me when parents are prepared to regularly give children chicken nuggets, pizzas and other fast food without thinking about it.

I am very aware (before you start shouting at me) that some children refuse to eat anything else, which could mean that every mealtime is a war between parents and their offspring.

However, the food given to children is the building blocks of their lives. It will protect them against disease and acute illness in later life. It is, in fact, the best start you can give them, even better than education.

Why? Because if you have a healthy child, they will always find their way in life. What is the point of a PhD when you are constantly suffering from illness?

Here are a few tips to optimise your child’s brain function and clean up their eating habits. Brain and nutrition researchers tell us that a great deal can be done to support brain function in children. We can actually optimise the brain and cognitive function for higher level achievement in their studies.

Nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining a sufficient blood supply to the brain. Vitamins A, C, D, E and B all play a role in brain function, as do minerals such as magnesium, sodium, potassium and calcium.

Some studies have found that multivitamin/mineral supplementation “has the potential to improve brain function in healthy children” (Br. J. Nutr, 2008).

The modern Western diet is highly nutrient deficient. Most people are lacking B12. Copper levels, which can “seriously affect brain functions” are at an all-time low (Prog. Neurobiol., 2014).

Vitamin D, which is necessary for normal brain development, is critically lacking in most diets. In fact, vitamin D deficiency is “one of the most common medical conditions in children and adults”.

To date, inadequate levels of this vitamin have been linked to cognitive impairment, dementia, muscle weakness, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Other nutrients needed by the brain to maintain top-level functions include magnesium, iodine, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, folate, protein and iron. The foods mentioned at the beginning of my column have no hope at all of supplying one of these nutrients, never mind all of them.

Let’s begin with breakfast. Decades ago this was usually a hearty meal. It could have been a fatty one with some food, but compared to the empty calories of today’s breakfast – if indeed children eat their breakfast at all – it was acceptable.

Brain and nutrition researchers tell us that a great deal can be done to support brain function in children

Clinical studies consistently suggest “omitting breakfast interferes with cognition and learning”. In addition to playing an important role in improving tests of attention and memory, as well as creativity, mathematical ability and verbal skills, “school breakfast programmes” have also improved attendance rates and tardiness, as well as “academic performance and cognitive functioning” (J. Sch. Health, 2005).

It is especially important among children aged four to 10, as positron emission tomography (Pet) studies have shown that glucose (the main fuel of the human brain) is metabolised in the brains of children at that age at about twice the rate of people aged 16 and over.

However, breakfasts are hit and miss for as many as 40 per cent of adolescents in the developed countries of the world. In addition, those who do eat breakfast are not eating what is required. Also, each country differs in its offering. In the US, for example, cold cereal and fruit juice is the most common breakfast. Carbohydrates from the fruit, as well as from grain sources such as bread and cereal, are rapidly turned into glucose, which feeds the brain.

Carbs also trigger the release of the calming ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter serotonin, which can help settle a student down before heading off to an exam in the morning.

However, most breakfast cereal is highly processed, containing genetically modified wheat and corn and bursting with sugar. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in Washington, DC, just one serving of a normal children’s cereal per day adds over 10lb of sugar to the child’s diet over the course of one year.

In addition, commercial fruit juice can add to the problem, as some of it can contain the same amount of sugar as a can of cola. This volume of sugar can cause a ‘sugar high’, i.e. causing the blood glucose and insulin levels to spike, followed by a rapid switch to ‘crash’ mode, which can be characterised by lack of concentration, anxiety and fatigue.

So what is a healthy morning start? Neurologist David Perlumutter, author of the bestseller Grain Brain (in which he highlights the diseases caused by lifelong consumption of supposedly ‘good for you’ grains), suggests the following ideas for breakfast.

Eggs made into frittatas, omelettes and even poached, with smoked salmon are a first-class source of protein, with all the necessary amino acids, plus vitamins A, D and B12, iron, choline and healthy saturated fat.

As a break from the egg routine, he also recommends what he calls ‘quick crunchy cereal’ made from raw, unsalted nuts, coconut flakes, fresh berries (such as strawberries and blueberries) and milk.

Next week I will have more foods to boost brain power, as well as other lifestyle choices to implement.

kathryn@maltanet.net