Support Your Child’s Brain Health With the Right Supplements

BY KELLY AIELLO, rhn

KELLY AIELLO Kelly is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) and an Amen Clinic Certified Brain Health Coach. She specializes in neuronutrition, the gutbrain connection, blood sugar regulation, and digestive disorders. She’s passionate about educating others on how to empower themselves to regain control over their health, optimize cognitive function, and become their best selves.

In order to keep our kids healthy, strengthen their immune systems, and provide a solid foundation for their optimal brain health, your child needs the right stack of nutrients. In fact, healthy development in children, including a good memory, improved learning ability, stable mood, and better focus, is directly linked to adequate levels of essential nutrients.

This is what I’ve dubbed neuronutrition.

As a former public school teacher, I have seen firsthand the effects a poor diet, fast food, and sugary soda have on the academic performance and behaviour of kids. Their concentration, ability to focus, capacity to learn, and memory all suffer. When they skip breakfast or consume mostly refined white flour products and processed foods, we also see a decline in grades and, for kids susceptible to the effects of sugar, behaviour problems or aggression.

As a nutritionist and brain health coach, I get it. Kids are finicky eaters when it comes to certain foods and can be challenging to feed. There’s also no guarantee that the healthy lunch or snack you’ve provided for your child will actually be eaten.

For these reasons, and the fact that proper nutrition is required for healthy brain development in children, sometimes, we need to supplement our kids’ diets. Adding the right quality supplements to their regime can make all the difference!

If you’ve ever wondered if anything could support your child’s brain health, now is the perfect time to take action, as a new school year gets underway.

There’s nothing more important than protecting our child’s brain health and helping them develop their brain’s capacity. After all, we all want our children to excel in every possible way. If that means we can help them improve their focus, learning, memory, behaviour, and mood with the right supplements, then why wouldn’t we?

Brain Food

Ensure your child’s brain is receiving the proper nutrients

Choline Choline is an essential nutrient that all bodies require for healthy brain development and normal function. In children, it plays an important role in developing their nervous system and cell membrane integrity. Choline is found predominantly in eggs, grassfed meat, and dairy. In conjunction with vitamin B12 and folate, choline works to improve your child’s focus and boost their memory.

Multivitamin-multimineral Regardless of how many nutrient-dense foods we try to feed our kids, the truth is many of them are just not getting all the vitamins and minerals their developing brains and bodies need. Plus, a lack of certain nutrients can adversely affect a child’s thinking, behaviour, and emotional state. It’s not uncommon for kids with ADHD, for example, to have deficiencies of certain nutrients. Even though supplements cannot replace the natural nutrients found in real food, sometimes we need to ensure our child is receiving all necessary nutrients they need to function optimally. Adding a quality multivitamin-multimineral supplement to your child’s regime can ensure you’ve got all your bases covered.

Probiotics Our gut is also referred to as our second brain, and for good reason. A healthy gut that contains a variety of beneficial bacteria species (called probiotics) builds the foundation for a healthy brain. Among their many jobs, the bacteria in our gut produce most of the neurotransmitters our brain needs to function optimally and keep us happy. This is no different for our children. Healthy bacteria also prevent nasty micro-organisms from taking over, that can make our kids moody or irritable. So if lacto-fermented foods like sauerkraut are not a regular part of your child’s diet, then consider a quality probiotic supplement to support a healthy nervous system.

Vitamin C Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is vital for optimal cognitive health. Your child’s brain uses vast amounts of vitamin C each day to form healthy connective tissue and blood vessels. It’s also used to protect healthy brain function and convert dopamine into serotonin to boost your child’s mood. Vitamin C can be found in oranges, strawberries, guavas, thyme, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Because of its importance in daily brain function and how quickly it gets used up when under stress, you might want to consider adding a vitamin C supplement to your child’s daily routine. As an added bonus, vitamin C works to strengthen immunity, making it extra helpful during cold and flu season!

Omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3s are crucial building blocks that your child’s brain needs for development and growth. In fact, it’s one of the absolute best nutrients for your child’s overall brain health, as it works to improve learning, memory, and mood in kids. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds. So if your child balks at the sight of fish on the dinner table, then a quality omega-3 supplement is in order!