Did you know that Aelita Andre exhibited her works in a gallery when she was only two years old? And, she started painting when she was just nine months old! Akrit Jaswal is known as the smartest boy in the world with an IQ of 146! The list of the most intelligent kids in the world is quite long. One of the major factors leading to such brilliance is adequate levels of DHA in the child’s diet.
What is DHA?
Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that is crucial for brain development. It is responsible for optimal growth of cognitive and visual abilities. It supports the development of our eyes throughout life. For an infant, the period from birth to 2 years is very crucial, as this is the phase when the human brain develops rapidly and its total mass increases four-fold. Even the myelination of the frontal lobe begins at around 6 months of age and continues throughout the childhood, says an article by the US National Centre for Biotechnology Information.
Studies have revealed that ensuring adequate DHA intake during these foundational years can help your child have incredible memory, tremendous reading and comprehensive skills, better IQ and strong vision.
DHA Benefits
It is undeniable that DHA helps in developing the cognition abilities of your child. This includes memory, reading abilities, language development, social skills, comprehension, problem-solving capabilities, concentration, reasoning and other logical reasoning skills. This helps your kid in performing brilliantly in school and in play.
Other than neurological benefits, adequate DHA intake also helps prevent diabetes, artery diseases, vision problems, asthma, high blood pressure, certain kidney defects and dementia. It helps reduce behaviour-related problems, such as aggressiveness and depression.
Recommended Dosage of DHA
Although there are no specific guidelines for daily DHA intake, there are certain recommendations for the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA. Food items that rich sources of DHA include eggs, fish, walnuts, peanut butter, etc.
For infants, most of DHA requirements are fulfilled by mother’s milk, which is a rich source of DHA. To fulfill the DHA needs of infants, mothers should also increase their own DHA intake to at least 600-800 milligrams. Children aged 1.5 to 2 years should be provided at least 600 milligrams of DHA and EPA. If your kid is a picky-eater, you can choose add a fortified milk powder, such as Enfagrow A+, rich in DHA, to their diet to support your child’s brain development.
Children with lower DHA levels have been seen to have poor reading skills, lesser memory performance, emotional issues and vision problems, says an article on the Natural Medicine Journal. Moreover, DHA deficiency can cause Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) in children and affect their neurological functioning.
The important thing to remember is that your kid needs sufficient amount of nutrients for a healthy body and mind. You can add a fortified milk powder rich in DHA, such as Enfagrow A+, to ensure that you kid gets all the vital nutrients.