By Michael Byrd
When and how to use methods for better child brain
development is important; many recommend computer programs.
According to experts however, it may be too late if the
window of opportunity to enhance a child's brain development
has ceased.
It is always good to begin even before the baby is born up
to the time of his or her third birthday. This is the most
crucial period in the child's brain development and
determines its ability to learn for the rest of their life.
It may appear unusual to begin even before a child is able
to read, write or reason, but there are studies to back this
and it has shown that all these skills begin to develop even
before a child goes to kindergarten.
In the latest research published in Developmental Medicine
and Child Neurology [Vol. 42: 174-181], doctors studied 56
babies, as young as 5 days old, and gave them a diet
supplement of omega 3 fish oil fatty acids and DHA.
The set of babies that were given DHA showed significantly
higher cognitive and motor skills, as compared to the other
set of babies (those without fish oil supplements) based on
the "Mental Development Index."
Doctors have concluded that an early dietary supply of fish
oil with DHA is needed at an early age to assure improved
performance and mental development for full term babies.
Research on premature babies, that was published in the
Clinics of Perinatology, . [Vol. 22(1):157-75], established
that babies who are not born full term also benefit from
fish oil. Those given omega 3 fatty acids with DHA as
supplements definitely had improvement in their cognitive
and visual development.
These are just a few of the many research findings that have
proven the secret to a child's brain development is
providing it with enough omega 3 and DHA.
DHA consists of rich long-chain omega 3 in the brain tissue.
Roughly 95% of these lipids can be found during birth and
develops to be a part of these tissues even inside the
uterus and continues during the first year of life.
So it does make sense for pregnant women to consume more
fish and get a supplement of fish oil. This is a good way to
build a good foundation on a child's brain development from
the very start and will surely be a big factor to determine
its intelligence and ability to learn in the future.
Subsequently, make sure that you breast-feed your child
during the first year. Sufficient amounts of omega 3's can
come from breast milk.
Research that was published in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition illustrated that even moderate amounts of
dietary fish oil with DHA will radically elevate breast milk
content. [Vol. 40, 780-785]
These research results on brain development were enough to
convince my wife to use fish oil while she was pregnant and
while nursing our children. She also started giving
supplements of salmon oil to our children while they were
just six months old.
From the capsule, it went to the spoon, then to their
mouths. And now, we get remarks from people telling us how
smart they are and they have high test scores to prove it.
But the best part is they are happy and healthy children
too. Try fish oil on your kids and you will be thankful you
did.
What you just learned about omega 3 oils and your health is
just the beginning. To get the full story and all the
details, check us out at our (http://www.omega-3.us) fish
oil website.
Showing posts with label brain health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brain health. Show all posts
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Brain Fitness Training Is The New Resolution
By Martin G Walker
If historians are correct, the ancient Babylonians, one of
the earliest civilized societies, practiced the art of the
New Year's resolution. To this day, cultures around the
world use the turning of the year as a time to reflect on
what's past while looking to the future. This New Year more
people than ever before will be making brain fitness
training their top resolution.
Many of the traditional favorites - losing weight,
exercising, quitting smoking, to name a few - already move
us in the direction of better brain health. Brain training
takes us a big step further by fostering brain plasticity, a
state that we can use to improve our memory, concentration,
and mental acuity while helping to stave off the onset of
Alzheimer's symptoms and early dementia.
Although scientists had long since dismissed the idea that
the adult brain could grow and change, research from the
last few years overturns that theory with studies proving
quite the opposite. The right conditions can cause the
production of new neural nerve cells and the brain, in fact
proves to be remarkably adept at rewiring connections work
more effectively with the right training. (The concept of
brain plasticity is even being applied in new therapies for
stroke victims, restoring motor capabilities that
traditional therapies could not.)
Brain Training Benefits
Academics: Good brain training software may be one of the
most effective and affordable test prep programs you can
buy. Test prep typically helps you increase your test scores
but won't help you do better in school, whereas brain
training can boost your attention and general
problem-solving ability. And if you have a diagnosed
learning dysfunction, it's possible that a targeted brain
exercise will help. Where possible, many learning
specialists have begun to use brain training in preference
to accommodations as a way to address a deficit directly
rather than working around it.
Career Improvement: If your career involves creative
problem-solving and focused mental activity brain training
provides a way to stay sharp. Modern workplace demands tend
to disrupt the brain's ability to form memories and
stimulate new cell growth. Brain training can significantly
increase effectiveness and success in the workplace.
Long-Term Mental Health And Well-Being: Unless we do
something to stop it, by age 40 our brains have begun to
decline. With regular mental exercise, however, we can
reduce or eliminate memory loss, and lower our risk of
developing Alzheimer's symptoms and dementia. Researchers
have even found that depression responds to the kind of
stimulated neural growth that brain training can induce.
Self-Growth: The recent upsurge in brain training
technologies has revealed that brain exercise can lead to
improvements in seemingly unrelated areas - such as musical
ability and self-esteem. When we reflect on the brain's
central role in any and all aspects of thinking (including
feeling) this begins to make perfect sense. If we're already
engaged in activities such as physical exercise, yoga,
reading, therapy, and mindfulness meditation, a program of
mental exercise fits right in.
Making The Resolution Stick
Studies have shown that we tend not to keep our New Year's
resolutions. Women will do better at them if they share them
with their friends. And men succeed more often if the goals
are broken down into manageable milestones. Brain training
has the built-in advantage of challenge and reward. If we
find a training program that works for us, it will become an
activity we look forward to. Many programs also provide the
option to share our achievements in some form of on-line
community, and to track our detailed progress through our
training scores.
The brain training marketplace can be a little confusing at
first. There are many products out there and it's not always
clear which ones work. Some training programs provide don't
require much focus and attention and won't stimulate brain
plasticity. Others might work extremely well but cost
several hundred dollars and demand a significant time
commitment.
It's important to verify a program's scientific basis. The
vendor should state clearly what improvements the program
will bring about and in what time period. And the product
should come with a training schedule that will help you
judge whether it is right for you.
Brain training could be the best New Year's resolution
you'll ever make. With the right level of commitment it can
bring about a big jump in mental ability and set us on the
road to long-term brain health.
Oxford-trained scientist, author, and technologist, Martin
G. Walker is a member of The British Neuroscience
Association, Learning and The Brain, and MENSA. His company
(http://mindevolvesoftware.com) Mind Evolve Software
If historians are correct, the ancient Babylonians, one of
the earliest civilized societies, practiced the art of the
New Year's resolution. To this day, cultures around the
world use the turning of the year as a time to reflect on
what's past while looking to the future. This New Year more
people than ever before will be making brain fitness
training their top resolution.
Many of the traditional favorites - losing weight,
exercising, quitting smoking, to name a few - already move
us in the direction of better brain health. Brain training
takes us a big step further by fostering brain plasticity, a
state that we can use to improve our memory, concentration,
and mental acuity while helping to stave off the onset of
Alzheimer's symptoms and early dementia.
Although scientists had long since dismissed the idea that
the adult brain could grow and change, research from the
last few years overturns that theory with studies proving
quite the opposite. The right conditions can cause the
production of new neural nerve cells and the brain, in fact
proves to be remarkably adept at rewiring connections work
more effectively with the right training. (The concept of
brain plasticity is even being applied in new therapies for
stroke victims, restoring motor capabilities that
traditional therapies could not.)
Brain Training Benefits
Academics: Good brain training software may be one of the
most effective and affordable test prep programs you can
buy. Test prep typically helps you increase your test scores
but won't help you do better in school, whereas brain
training can boost your attention and general
problem-solving ability. And if you have a diagnosed
learning dysfunction, it's possible that a targeted brain
exercise will help. Where possible, many learning
specialists have begun to use brain training in preference
to accommodations as a way to address a deficit directly
rather than working around it.
Career Improvement: If your career involves creative
problem-solving and focused mental activity brain training
provides a way to stay sharp. Modern workplace demands tend
to disrupt the brain's ability to form memories and
stimulate new cell growth. Brain training can significantly
increase effectiveness and success in the workplace.
Long-Term Mental Health And Well-Being: Unless we do
something to stop it, by age 40 our brains have begun to
decline. With regular mental exercise, however, we can
reduce or eliminate memory loss, and lower our risk of
developing Alzheimer's symptoms and dementia. Researchers
have even found that depression responds to the kind of
stimulated neural growth that brain training can induce.
Self-Growth: The recent upsurge in brain training
technologies has revealed that brain exercise can lead to
improvements in seemingly unrelated areas - such as musical
ability and self-esteem. When we reflect on the brain's
central role in any and all aspects of thinking (including
feeling) this begins to make perfect sense. If we're already
engaged in activities such as physical exercise, yoga,
reading, therapy, and mindfulness meditation, a program of
mental exercise fits right in.
Making The Resolution Stick
Studies have shown that we tend not to keep our New Year's
resolutions. Women will do better at them if they share them
with their friends. And men succeed more often if the goals
are broken down into manageable milestones. Brain training
has the built-in advantage of challenge and reward. If we
find a training program that works for us, it will become an
activity we look forward to. Many programs also provide the
option to share our achievements in some form of on-line
community, and to track our detailed progress through our
training scores.
The brain training marketplace can be a little confusing at
first. There are many products out there and it's not always
clear which ones work. Some training programs provide don't
require much focus and attention and won't stimulate brain
plasticity. Others might work extremely well but cost
several hundred dollars and demand a significant time
commitment.
It's important to verify a program's scientific basis. The
vendor should state clearly what improvements the program
will bring about and in what time period. And the product
should come with a training schedule that will help you
judge whether it is right for you.
Brain training could be the best New Year's resolution
you'll ever make. With the right level of commitment it can
bring about a big jump in mental ability and set us on the
road to long-term brain health.
Oxford-trained scientist, author, and technologist, Martin
G. Walker is a member of The British Neuroscience
Association, Learning and The Brain, and MENSA. His company
(http://mindevolvesoftware.com) Mind Evolve Software
publishes free information on the field of neuroscience and
brain training as well as effective and affordable
(http://mindsparkebrainfitnesspro.com ) brain training
software under the brand name Mind Sparke.
brain training as well as effective and affordable
(http://
software under the brand name Mind Sparke.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)