Kepentingan omega guard untuk pertumbuhan otak kanak-kanak

Omega-3s in Childhood Brain Development (Kidd 2007)

During the last trimester of fetal life and the first two years of childhood, the brain undergoes a period of rapid growth – the “brain growth spurt.” Nutrient insufficiency during this period can compromise brain function.

DHA is one nutrient absolutely required for the development of the sensory, perceptual, cognitive, and motor neural systems during the brain growth spurt.

EPA’s importance for the brain’s development in utero is unclear, but colostrum and breast milk contain EPA, albeit in lesser amounts than DHA.

The fundamental importance of DHA for brain development is beyond dispute. The neurons are continually forming axons and dendritic extensions with accompanying cell membranes. Growing membrane must be relatively fluid, and DHA is the most fluidizing element in cell membranes. Even the synapses that are the primary functional units of brain circuits are made from membranes preferentially enriched in DHA.

The retina, functionally an extension of the brain, contains rods and cones with the most fluid membranes of all the body’s cell types; they are also highly enriched in DHA.

Laboratory animals (rodents, primates) with experimentally induced omega-3 deficiencies show deficits in retinal structure, visual acuity development, and cognitive performance.

McCann and Ames published an extensive review of the evidence that DHA is important for the development of cognition and other normal brain functions (McCann and Ames 2005). Their 258 references included meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials (RCT) on cognitive and behavioral performance, studies with rodents and nonhuman primates, and breastfeeding studies. Within the limits imposed by performance testing of infants and

toddlers, they concluded that:

• ·        In animals whose brain concentrations of DHA were severely reduced, dietary supplementation with DHA restored control performance levels.

• ·        Studies with human infants suggest supplementation with DHA in formula or by boosting maternal levels enhances neuromotor development.

• ·        Application of a wide range of tests yielded a positive association between breastfeeding and infant mental performance.

Although it is difficult to test cognitive performance within the first year, infants who were fed breast milk or formulas with DHA were found (within a few months after birth) to have superior visual acuity compared to those fed less than adequate DHA. This superior visual function persists through the first year after birth11 and perhaps into the seventh year or later.1

Kidd, P. M. (2007). "Omega-3 DHA and EPA for cognition, behavior, and mood: clinical findings and structural-functional synergies with cell membrane phospholipids." Alternative Medicine Review 12(3): 207.

           

McCann, J. C. and B. N. Ames (2005). "Is docosahexaenoic acid, an n− 3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, required for development of normal brain function? An overview of evidence from cognitive and behavioral tests in humans and animals." The American journal of clinical nutrition 82(2): 281-295.