Improve Brainpower!

Another way to improve your (and your kids') brainpower... healthy fats!

When you repeat an activity over and over, it creates neural pathways between different parts of your brain. The more you practice, the stronger those neural pathways become. These structural changes are the physical mechanisms of learning.

This is the foundation for the concept "practice makes perfect." And the good news is that you can enhance this process even further by supplementing your diet with omega-3 fatty acids.

The BBC recently reported on a small but remarkable study of children who were given fish oil supplements. The children took tests before they started taking the fish oil and again at the end of the three-month study. During the study, researchers found that the children's reading age increased by a year. Their handwriting became more legible and accurate, and they paid more attention in class.

The kids also had brain scans which revealed drastic increases in their levels of a chemical called N-Acetylaspartate (NAA). This chemical is linked to the growth of those nerve fibers that are created by repetition of an activity. Commenting on the results, the lead researcher said, "In three months you might expect to see a small NAA increase. But we saw as much growth as you would normally see in three years. It was as if these were the brains of children three years older."

Omega-3 fatty acids are absolutely essential for all of us, young and old. But they are especially important for children, whose brains are still developing. To ensure that you (and your children) are getting enough omega-3, consider taking a fish oil supplement. And be sure to include wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, grass-fed beef, omega-3 eggs, walnuts, and flax in your diet.