Breastfeeding mom's diet and baby's brain development

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http://www.007b.com/breastfeeding_intelligence_diet.php

Breastfeeding mom's diet and baby's brain development

Many people know how DHA is now added to some infant formulas, because it is a substance that is important for baby's brain growth. But did you know you can affect the level of DHA in your breast milk by your own diet?
Good fats and brain development


Nutrition in utero and during the very first years of life plays a big role in determining a child's cognitive abilities and intelligence. Touching, cuddling, and a stimulating environment, and even studying music all have been shown to affect cognitive performance, but this article will concentrate on fats and intelligence, since the pitiful "standard American diet" (SAD) supplies so little of the essential omega-3 fats that are crucial to proper brain development in infants and children - and crucial to proper brain functioning in adults.
Breastfeeding has been shown to boost a child's intelligence (though one study did find otherwise). But did you know about ONE exact nutrient affecting a child's IQ where the breastfeeding mother's diet has a lot to do with how much of that nutrient the child receives?
To answer those questions we need to know about essential fatty acids. http://www.007b.com/essential_fatty_acids.php

Brain and DHA


The brain is about 60% fat by weight, and DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids are very abundant in it. A lot of the fat is in the cell membranes of the neurons and in the protective myelin sheath that covers them. The types and proportions of fats in the cell membranes determine how effectively the brain cells communicate. A diet deficient in omega-3 fats also alters brain's energy metabolism [11].
Scientists are now revealing how all kinds of mental disorders including Parkinson's disease, depression, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and schizophrenia are connected with deficiencies in the essential fatty acids, and with an imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 fats. For example, children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) have been shown to have low levels of DHA in their blood.
DHA is crucial to the optimal development of the brain in infancy and childhood. Breast milk boosts the brain growth because it contains lots of DHA - provided that the mother herself eats things rich in omega-3 fatty acids. So DHA is the main reason why breastfeeding has been shown to increase a child's intelligence - or maybe we should say that bottle feeding produces children with less-than-optimal brain growth and intelligence, and breastfeeding can produce normal brains. Standard infant formulas in USA have practically none DHA. Some special formulas do have it, and studies have shown that infants fed these formulas do score better on cognitive tests than those fed standard formula.
The DHA levels of breast milk vary a lot according to the diet of the breastfeeding mother. In a Danish study, consuming fish or fish oil increased the amount of DHA found in the breast milk, and the researched noted large fluctuations in the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in breast milk.[1] The milk of Nigerian women, whose diet is rich in nuts, has a high omega-3 fat content, significantly more than that of German mothers.[2], [3]
In a study from Connecticut, it was found that babies of mothers with higher DHA levels showed significantly more quiet sleep and less active sleep, and less sleep-wake transition than those of mothers with lower DHA levels. In other words, they slept better. This was interpreted as indicating greater central nervous system maturity in the higher DHA group.[4] That is very interesting news for all pregnant and nursing mothers, since the baby's sleeping pattern has such an effect on everybody in the family.
Another important note for pregnant women is that women who develop postpartum depression have lowered levels of DHA. The developing fetus has drawn a lot of the maternal sources, and if the woman does not eat foods rich in omega-3 fats, she risks not only the baby's health but her own mental health. The researchers confirming the fact of low levels of DHA in depressed mothers suggested that "increasing the dietary DHA intake during pregnancy and postpartum, seems prudent.".[5] They always tell pregnant women that you need to eat your yellow vegetables, your dark greens, and your proteins, but mention NOTHING about the omega-3 fats!
Nursing mothers can increase DHA levels of breast milk by adding fresh oily fish, flax seed, flax seed oil, and spirulina in the diet (but note mackerel may have too much mercury in it).[1],[6] When essential fatty acids are increased in the diet, it's also important to take a multinutrient rich in antioxidants to help protect the fatty acids from being destroyed.
Children who don't nurse anymore, can get DHA from fatty cold-water fish like mackerel, salmon, trout, and sardines (mackerel is not recommended because of mercury levels in it). Low-fat fish have only small amounts of DHA. Another source is omega-3 fortified eggs from chickens that have been fed flax seed or fish meal.[7] Dr. David Williams recommends 1-2 yolks from these kind of eggs for children under two to get the daily 250 mg of omega-3 fatty acids that breast milk might contain. You would need roughly 8 yolks from regular eggs - showing what a difference the chicken's diet makes in the nutritional value of its eggs!
Now, DHA is not really an essential fat (at least not for adults) because the body makes it from ALA. But ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) is ESSENTIAL for children and for adults alike! The best food source is flax oil.
Flax oil should come in a dark sealed bottle and be refridgerated because light, oxygen, and heat destroy the essential fats in it. Dr. David Williams recommends the following amounts of flax oil for NON-nursing children: 1-6 months old, 1/4tsp daily; 6-12 months 1/2 tsp daily; 1-2 years 1-2 tsp daily, and over 2 yrs 2 tsp daily. You can simply add some flax oil to salad dressings, smoothies, etc. (but don't fry with it) to provide ALA for the whole family. The absolutely best bet is of course to let your child breastfeed for at least 2 years and beyond and simply make sure the mother's breastfeeding diet is adequate. Then after weaning the child can consume flax or flax oil to get the alpha-linolenic acid.
If you opt for flax seed, you need a little coffee grinder to grind the seeds in because they are hard to chew properly. Ground flax seed should be stored in airtight containers in fridge because the ALA oil in it goes rancid very quickly when exposed to air. Add ground flaxseed to oatmeal, non-fat yogurt, or fruit smoothies. You can also add it to breads or muffins and bake with it. The whole flax seed also has other health benefits, like promoting good bowel function and protecting against breast cancer and the effects of environmental estrogens.


Trans fats - the danger


Another often overlooked fact about fats is the danger of so-called trans fats, which are formed when vegetable oils are heated in high temperatures, like in frying or in making hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenation is a process where unsaturated fatty acids in liquid oils are transformed so they are now solid in room temperature. It has been said that if hydrogenation was found today, it would not be approved for all the harm the trans fats do in the human system. The main food items containing trans fats are margarine, shortening, and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
In a Canadian study trans fatty acids (TFAs) averaged 7.2% of the total fatty acids in breast milk. The main source of trans fats was partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. The researchers also found that the levels of LA and ALA (the essential fatty acids) were inversely related to the total trans fats, which means that the elevation of TFAs in Canadian human milk is at the expense of essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.[8]
Trans fats are shaped differently from their original form. When rat mothers were fed trans fats, those ended up in their puppies brain, and there is no reason to belive tat it wouldn't happen in humans.[9] But since trans fatty acids are shaped differently, they don't fit to the nerve cell membranes as well as the normal omega-3 fats, so they cause the nerve cells to communicate less efficiently and the brain cannot function optimally. Trans fats also increase cholesterol and blood fat levels notably (factors in heart disease), lower immunity, are associated with cancer, and do all kinds of havoc in the human body (think twice before eating them French Fries).
So this warrants us of the grave danger of hydrogenated vegetable oils found in margarine, shortening, cookies, candy bars, chips, crackers, and a horde of other processed foods, AS WELL AS of frying anything in vegetable oil. The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in vegetable oils are delicate and are easily destroyed by heat (which is the reason why you should only consume cold-pressed oils). You can fry safely (occasionally) if you use saturated fats like butter, lard, or coconut or palm kernel oil. They are heat-resistant and don't change into trans fats.


Proper brain nutrition


Brain needs all other nutrients, too, besides the right fats. It needs proteins, it needs minerals -- but it doesn't need sugar or food additives. All the details are beyond the space in this article. But the base line is to favor nutrient-rich natural foods, like whole grains and legumes, eggs from free-range chickens, organic meat, fish, nuts, seeds, fruit, and vegetables over processed and refined foods.
Cow's milk is intended for baby cows (calves) who need to grow strong bones and small brains. Cow's milk is low in essential fatty acids. It can't produce the proper brain development for humans. Try nut/seed milks made by blending nuts/seeds with a touch of honey, and straining the mixture. The pulp you can use in whole-grain baked goods, pancakes, breads. Yummy and healthy!
People often think one needs to eat vegetables and fruit to get vitamins, but many forget the staple foods and minerals. White flour products, white bread, pasta made from semolina or white flour, white rice, white sugar, and 'white' colorless supermarket oils have been either mostly or totally robbed of the minerals and other nutrients they once contained.
Vegetables and fruit are good for us, but it's also very important that the STAPLE FOODS are WHOLESOME, full of minerals, and free of poisons: WHOLE grains, seeds, nuts, fresh fish, organic eggs, and organic meat.