A great way to boost your brain power! Don't miss these two nutrients

Why can’t children memorize English words and texts and have poor memory? How to "let children win at the starting point" is the deepest expectation of parents for their babies. If you find that your child has poor memory and it affects his/her learning ability, be careful that it may be a lack of "trace elements", especially two trace elements that are critical!

In order to improve children's memory, well-intentioned parents will not only take their children to do more outdoor sports to increase oxygen in the brain, relax the mind and reduce stress, but also let their children use puzzles, word spelling, guessing and other methods to stimulate brain cells. As for nutritional supplements, they are also not careless and give their children a lot of "brain-boosting" foods, but their brain power still seems to be blocked. Are you eating the right food?

Lack of 2 trace elements affects brain power

Nutritionist Su Yanchen said that dietary nutrient supplementation is closely related to the learning ability of young children. Do not be careless in the selection of daily food ingredients. If you ignore the intake of the following two trace elements, it will not only make the brain weak, but also reduce learning ability, making all efforts ineffective and not worth the effort.

What is micronutrient deficiency? It means daily intake below 100mg of required amount. Micronutrients are essential for the human body and can regulate various important physiological functions and maintain good health. When children have micronutrient deficiencies, their cognitive functions may be affected, resulting in lower IQ, poor memory, language and non-verbal learning disabilities, depression, poor concentration and slower thinking.

Research: "Iron and iodine" are closely related to children's intelligence development

A study on nutrient deficiencies in children aged 4 to 18 years old pointed out that among various trace elements, "iron and iodine" have been clinically found to be related to children's intellectual development. If the body lacks iron, it will easily affect the processing of short-term memory. If a child develops iron deficiency anemia in childhood, it will cause irreversible developmental delay. In other words, if a child suffers from long-term iron deficiency anemia or even has developmental delays, even if they increase iron supplementation in the future, it will be difficult to reverse the lost neurological development process. And for children of school age, if they have iron deficiency problems, it will affect their performance and academic performance in school. Studies have also found that children with anemia problems have poorer intellectual performance. Even into adolescence, the destructive power of iron deficiency cannot be underestimated.

Among various trace elements, "iron and iodine" have been clinically found to be related to the development of children's intelligence.

A Japanese study found that if adolescent girls have iron deficiency, even if they do not have clinical symptoms of anemia, such as pale skin and weakness, they are still prone to depression, reduced concentration, and even affected academic performance.

If a newborn baby has not eaten any complementary food by the time he is 6 months old, he may suffer from iron deficiency. Adolescent girls should not be careless either, as menstrual blood loss and an unbalanced diet can lead to anemia. Foods like red amaranth, red beans, and tofu are all good sources of iron. The stewed bone soup, which is said to be good for the body, contains more than just iron. In fact, very little of the real nutrients can be dissolved in the soup. When choosing, it is better to eat the ingredients in their original state.

In addition, another high-risk group for iron deficiency is adolescents, especially females. At this time, girls are experiencing their first menstruation. If they pay too much attention to their body shape and do not diet properly, they are very likely to suffer from iron deficiency anemia, which will lead to a decline in academic performance. They must be careful.

Insufficient iodine raw materials may reduce local blood flow in the brain

Another important nutrient that is closely related to children's concentration performance is iodine. Nutritionist Su Yanchen said that iodine is an important raw material for physiological regulatory hormones "thyroxine", an important hormone involved in the development of the central nervous system. Thyroid hormone is involved in the operation of the brain's higher cognitive functions, including reasoning and problem-solving abilities. If the "iodine raw material" is insufficient, the amount of thyroid hormone will be reduced, leading to a decrease in local blood flow to the brain, which in turn affects learning and cognitive abilities.

In addition to consuming iodine-containing foods, such as kelp, laver and other seaweed ingredients, the government also directly adds iodine to commercially available refined salt, and also indicates the words "iodized" on the outer packaging. However, more and more commercially available salt products are not additionally iodized, so consumers should pay special attention when purchasing.

Nutritionist Su Yanchen reminds that the lack of these two micronutrients is more common in developing countries, but if parents are careless with ingredients and cooking, they can easily suffer from deficiency symptoms. Remember to pay attention to your baby’s eating habits. In addition to a balanced diet, it is also essential to consume foods containing iron and iodine. Only in this way can you truly “let your child win at the starting point”!