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The nutrition we receive during childhood has a significant influence on our health and development throughout life. Eating a balanced diet is essential, but ensuring that children receive the necessary amounts of omega-3, acetyl l-carnitine, zinc and folic acid during the most crucial periods of their brain and neural development isn’t always easy. With all these ingredients, as well as bacopa monnieri to assist cognitive function and memory, Kids Intelligent is specially formulated to promote healthy development and wellbeing.
ACETYL L-CARNITINE
An amino acid essential for proper development of the central (brain) and peripheral nervous systems, Acetyl L-Carnitine (ALC) is naturally present in the body and in food. Studies have shown that supplemental ALC results in significant improvements in learning rate, response time, error rate and memory (both short-term and long-term). ALC may also provide health benefits above and beyond those derived from carnitine supplementation.
FISH/TUNA OIL & OMEGA-3
The health benefits associated with fish oils are attributable to its eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content. EPA and DHA are essential Omega-3 superunsaturated fatty acids which can be endogenously derived within the body or obtained through diet.
The brain consists of approximately 60% adipose or fat tissue by weight, of which DHA is the most abundant form. A large proportion of the brain’s fatty tissue content is maintained in neurone cell membranes and in the protective myelin sheath that covers them.
The proportion of fatty tissues and their form determine how effectively brain neurones interact. If deficient, the brain can not develop nor function optimally. DHA is crucial to the optimal development of the brain in infancy and childhood, and the maintenance of brain function throughout adulthood. Studies have shown that DHA present in breast milk increases a breast-feeding child's intellect, however the quality (and DHA level) of a mother’s milk may vary.
Studies have shown various types of mental disorders including children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), or adults suffering from Parkinson's disease, depression, dementia including Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia. These conditions are all connected with deficiencies in the essential fatty acids, or with an imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 fats.
Studies conducted at Oxford University demonstrate that Omega-3 supplementation reduces ADHD-related symptoms in children with specific learning difficulties. In another study, 120 children were suffering behavioral and learning disorders because their diets are deficient in vital nutrients (including Omega-3 fatty acids) as required for normal brain function. This study revealed some 40 percent of children showed significant improvements in reading and spelling when their diet was supplemented with fish oil. Further, while none of the children involved in the study had been diagnosed with ADHD, one-third of them had the behavioural criteria for ADHD. After three months of taking fish oil, the behaviour of half of the children improved significantly.
Fish oil, while providing benefits for neural and eye tissue, has also been found to provide other health benefits including promote muscle growth, improve blood pressure and blood circulation, and reduce the risk of inflammation in some conditions (e.g. in the case of asthma and some allergies).
BACOPA has traditionally been used for the last 2000 years as a brain and memory tonic. Recent studies with children (6 - 8 years of age) have shown that it significantly improves discrimination learning, memory and cognitive functions. Studies with children suffering from ADHD also show that it results in significant improvement on sentence repetition, logical memory and paired associate learning following 12 weeks of administration of bacopa.
ZINC is involved in neurotransmission, and hence essential in the learning process. Important in maintaining cell integrity and health, a deficiency in zinc plasma levels has been associated with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD).
FOLIC ACID is crucial for proper brain function and plays an important role in mental and emotional health. Folic acid in neuroprotective, aiding DNA and RNA production, and is crucial during periods of high growth, such as infancy, adolescence and pregnancy. Folic acid works closely with vitamin B12 to regulate the formation of red blood cells and to aid iron utilisation.
This product is also featured at www.kidshealth-central.com
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