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Special Kids . . . Special Nutrition

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September 10, 2011
	Dr. Gary Huber : Head Medical Ego

The Nutritional Needs of a Developing Brain and a Young Body

From birth to adulthood the body needs certain nutrients in order to maximize its greatest potential. Yes, we can “get by” and stay alive with all sorts of diets but to truly optimize who we become there is no replacement for key nutrients such as essential fatty acids, proper electrolytes and minerals, quality amino acids from protein and other micronutrients. This demand for nutritional excellence is even greater for children facing developmental challenges. These children may benefit most from having the proper nutrients as they work to assimilate the rapid stream of incoming information and work to organize it into meaningful lessons in a brain that has incurred prior insult.

I spent an afternoon watching such children at the Triangle Therapy Services in Eaton Ohio. Triangle is a private pediatric practice that provides occupational and speech therapy for its young patients in a powerful setting that includes nature and animals. I was almost moved to tears as I witnessed the strength and courage of these kids and the love of their parents who give so much so that these kids can accomplish what many of us take for granted.

I could not stop thinking about what my role in their care might be. Certainly there is something I can offer to help these kids reach their greatest potential, whatever it may be. As I spoke with the parents about other therapies that their kids were involved in it became very apparent that the one element that was being overlooked was the simple issue of food.

What were these kids eating? Here these brave young bodies were battling to regain greater function and their minds working to form new synapses but was this effort being supported with the proper neurochemicals, nutrients and anti-inflammatories?

The brain is 60% fat and requires essential fatty acids such as EPA and DHA to support nerve function, growth and development. These fats come from fish oils predominantly and I know kids (and parents) well enough to know that fish in not regularly seen on a child’s plate. Without DHA or omega 3 fats the brain becomes more inflamed and struggles to learn. It experiences headaches and irritability and is more prone to seizure activity if such history exists. Omega 3 fats are calming and facilitate restful sleep.

A newly published study online in the Journal Pediatrics found DHA supplementation during pregnancy decreased the occurrence of colds in children at 1 month and influenced illness symptom duration at 1, 3, and 6 months^[1}. The March of Dimes recommends that women take at least 200mg of DHA every day during pregnancy and while nursing to help support mental, visual and motor skill development^[2]}. During the third trimester, when rapid brain growth occurs, the baby requires 30-45 mg of DHA a day to support brain growth^[3]. The main food sources of DHA are: salmon, herring, sardines, and fresh-water trout, and as stated above these foods are rare in a pediatric diet so supplementation with clean filtered sources of fish oil becomes essential. Some evidence suggests that supplemental essential fatty acids such as DHA are therapeutic for children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder and when combined with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, amino acids, phospholipids and probiotics (Translation: A healthy diet!) may equal the efficacy of the popular drug Ritalin^[4]. In an adult population, adults with AD/HD symptoms had significantly lower levels of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as DHA) when compared to a control population without AD/HD^[5]. Shuffling along with the Standard American Diet (SAD) that is devoid of omega 3 fats will result in poor mood and cognition for kids and adults, as well as poor progression of brain development in general.

I can’t overstate the importance of good nutrition for growing children. Although kids have unique vitamin, mineral, amino and fatty acids requirements for growth, the sources for these building blocks are the same foods I recommend universally for good health: fresh fruits and vegetables, good quality organic protein sources, healthy fats, legumes and nuts.

One mineral that I commonly recommend for children experiencing agitation, anxiety, sleep disorders, constipation and irritability is magnesium. Many of the above food choices are good sources of magnesium such as nuts and green leafy vegetables, but most children and adults do not get adequate magnesium from their diet. A variety of factors contribute to the nation’s magnesium deficiency.

Intensive farming practices deplete magnesium from the soil, and therefore, a diet that would have supplied enough magnesium a century ago may not supply enough today. In terms of pediatric nutrition, many kids have taste aversions to healthy magnesium rich foods and/or are not exposed to a healthy whole foods diet due to their parents’ food preferences. Magnesium is an important cofactor for enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and magnesium deficiency in obese children is associated with the development of insulin resistance^[6]. Insulin resistance is the underlying cause of type 2 diabetes. A nice way to give kids an added magnesium dose is to add magnesium sulfate crystals, commonly known as Epsom Salts to their bath water. Another option is to add magnesium glycerinate powder to a drink or food item that they are already eating such as protein or fruit smoothie.

Probiotics are another addition that I would recommend to any parent for their child but certainly for these kids they hold special function. Probiotics are good bacteria in the bowel that help us digest our food and make B vitamins. They help to calm our immune system and keep it running strong to reduce the occurrence of colds and other infections. They also serve a “detox” function and act as a second liver to help breakdown and metabolize toxic chemicals out of our body. I often find that kids with special needs have experienced many infections in their history and as such have significant exposure to antibiotics. Antibiotics are valuable and when needed can be lifesaving but their down side is that they destroy the beneficial bacteria in our bowel. We need to consciously replace those critical good bacteria (probiotics) to restore proper bowel function. These are most easily obtained from capsules or powders that can be mixed into food and eaten. The choice of probiotics needs to be carefully selected to ensure a good result. I have provided a page to accompany this article if you are interested in my personal recommendations.