Braindev&Nutrition-By Dr Sheetal Gandhil

7/30/2019 Braindev&Nutrition-By Dr Sheetal Gandhil

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Dr. Sheetal Gandhi

Brain development

&

infant nutrition


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- 100 billion or so neurons.

- 50 trillion connections between them.- The 400 miles of capillaries in the human brain have a

surface area of approximately 100 square feet.

- Basic wiring is determined by genes.

In early infancy, connections

increase 20-fold suggesting

that experience -all the

signals that a baby receivesfrom the world after birth -

determine these later

connections.

Brain : facts..


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Brain : facts..

During braindevelopment,

2.5 lacs of neurons

may be

added in oneminute !!

-By 2 yrs of age,

brain attends

80 % of adult size.


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Use it or lose it.

Early experiences

including deprivationactually change thestructure of thebrain.

There is wiring for

speech, motor,vision, and feelings.

Parents are thebrains first and

most importantteacher.!!


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Tools to handle brain

Transcranial magnetic

stimulation

CHARM analysis - high

throughput platform for

analysis of DNA

methylation across the

human genome -

Comprehensive High-Throughput Arrays for RelativeMethylation,

fMRI functional MRI

tDCS - Transcranial direct current stimulation


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Transcranial magnetic stimulation

MRI-compatible transcranial

magnetic stimulation coil

Produces magnetic field

Induces electric current in underlying neurons

Increases firing by the neurons

Increased firing by connected neurons

More oxygenated blood drawn to the region of increased firing

fMRI Map of connectivity can be drawn


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A Healthy Start

Good nutrition is key to the child'sgrowth and development at every age:

Physically

Socially

Emotionally

Cognitively Linguistically

Prolonged child malnutrition can impairmental development :

Directly: compromising thestructural development of thebrain.

Indirectly: suppressing the childsmotor activities and thus lesseningenvironmental stimulation.


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Facts : Brain Development

Brain development thattakes place prenatallyand in the first year oflife is more rapid andextensive than

previously suspected;

Brain development ismuch more vulnerable

to environmentalinfluence than we eversuspected;


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Facts : Brain Development

The influence of earlyenvironment on braindevelopment is longlasting;

The environment affects

not only the number ofbrain cells and numberof connections amongthem, but also the waythese connections are"wired;"

Early stress has anegative impact on braindevelopment.


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Brain : multifacts

Braindevelopment

Environment

& family

economics

Genetic

composition

Nutrition

Education

Social

factors

Prematurity /

LBW

Perinatal events

Antenatal eventsMaternal mental status

Postnatal

events


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Malnutrition: multi-effects

MalnutritionAnalyticalthinking

Learning

Behaviour

Education

Social

adaptability

Communication

Cognition

Environmental

adaptability

Physical

development


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Malnutrition

Malnutrition impairs brain

development by- decreasing the number of

cell replication cycles,

- reducing total brain DNA,- restricting dendritic

arborization thus reducing theconnections between neurons.

- disturbing sleep-wake cycles& neuro-vegetative activitiesduring sleep


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Malnutrition

Intrauterine malnutrition and early postnatalmalnutrition specially affect brain cell number.

The development of the cerebellum is mostaffected by nutritional deprivation around the

time of birth.

Synaptic connectivity is particularly affected if

malnutrition occurs after birth but before the

third year of life.


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At the DNA level

DNAmetabolism

&

repair

Genetic code Dietary factors( micro-nutrients)

Vit. C, E

Vit. B2, B6, B12

Folic acid

Niacin

Zn, Fe, Mg, Mn

-- Cofactors-- Enzymatic reactions

-- Substrates in metabolism


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Nutritional genomics of Genome stability

DNA damageDNA repair or

anti-oxidant

enzyme defect

Gene- diet

interaction

Micro-nutrient

deficiency

Gene-oxidant

interactionOxidative

stress

Birth defects

Brain malformations

Mental retardation

Cognitive &

psycho-social

problems


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Nutrition & Intelligence

The

Definition

ofIntelligence

is

controversial. !!!


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Diet & Neurotransmitters

Chemical secretions that affect the formation,maintenance, activity, and longevity of synapsesand neurons

Excite or inhibit function

Over 50 neurotransmitters identified:

Endorphins

Serotonin

DopamineMelatonin

Noradrenaline


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Dietary factor Neuro-transmitter Found in

Aspartic acid Aspartate peanuts, potatoes, eggs and

grain

Glutamic acid Glutamate flour and potatoes

Choline Acetyl choline eggs, liver and soybeans

Phenyl-alanine Dopamine beets, soybeans, almonds,

eggs, meat and grains

Tryptophan Serotonin eggs, meat, milk, bananas,

yogurt and cheese

Tyrosine Nor-epinephrine milk, meat, fish and legumes

Diet & neuro-transmitters


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Serotonin: An Impulse Modulator

Low levels = an adaptation to a

threatening environment

impulsive, aggressive behavior

Normal levels = clear thinking,

social success

High levels = response to anoverwhelming environmental threat

fearfulness, anxiety,

obsessive- compulsiveness


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Noradrenalin: An Alarm Hormone

- High levels trigger over-arousaland tendency toward impulsive hot

blooded acts of violence.

- Low levels trigger cold blooded acts.


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Micro-nutrients

Iodine

Iron

Zinc Magnesium

Mangenese


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Iodine

Iodine deficiency is the most important andwidespread nutrient deficiency:

It causes endemic cretinism associated withdeaf-mutism and cerebral palsy.

Iodine deficiency during pregnancy causesboth maternal and fetal hypothyroxinemia,resulting in irreversible impairment of brain

development at a critical stage. Critical period2nd3rd trimestor

Duration of hypothyroidism important.


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0 12 wks birth 1 yr

PHASE I

Thyroxine-Dependent-Human Brain Development

PHASE II PHASE III

Neuronal differentiation, Axonal outgrowth,Dendritic ontogeny, synaptosis,Cerebellar neurogenesis, Gliogenesis

Myelinogenesis

Cerebral neurogenesis & migration

0 12 wks birth 1 yr

Maternal T4 Fetal T4 Neonatal T4


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Adult

-Multinodular

goiter and its

consequences

In utero

-Abortion

-Endemic

cretins

Neonates

-Stillbirths

-Increased

perinatal

mortality

- congenital

hypothyroidism

Preschool age

-Mental deficiency

-Psychomotor

defect

School age

-Goiter


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Cretinism

1-10 %

5-30 %

Some Brain Damage

30-70 %

loss of Energy /

Learning difficulties

due to

Hypothyroidism

IDD ICEBERG


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Zinc

There is a close

association between

zinc and folic acid in the

diet, and zinc is thoughtto be involved in the

absorption of folic acid

both of them may be

involved in prevention

of neural tube defects.


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Nutrition during pregnancy

Folic acid deficiency

(Biotech Week, 2004)

Anencephaly =

irregular brain

formation

Stem cell division

Lifelong brain

impairment


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The fatty issue

Brain 2/3 is composed of fats.

Animal life first originated in the sea

Abundance of omega-3 fatty acids

Essential components of our eyes' photo- receptorsand our brain's cell membranes.


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The fatty issue

new set of species with bigger brains

omega-6 fatty acids

omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid families

existed on earth together


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Omega 3 & 6..

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) - ALA is thefoundation of the "omega-3" family of fattyacids.

Food sources - flax seeds, chia seeds,

walnuts, sea vegetables, and green leafyvegetables.

Linoleic acid (LA) - LA is the foundation of the"omega-6" family of fatty acids.

Food sources of - cold-pressed sunflower,safflower, corn, and sesame oils.


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Oleic acid

Myelin - 30% protein and 70% fat.

Main fatty acid in myelin is oleic acid, which isalso the most abundant fatty acid in human milk

and in our diet.

Healthy mono-unsaturated fats are found in olive

oil, avocados, peanuts, walnuts, almonds,

pecans, chicken, beef, eggs, as well as in sesame,

palm, corn, sunflower, and soybean oils.


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The DHA & AA

From ALA and LA, our brain can make(docosahexaenoic acid) DHA and (arachidonicacid) AA - the longer chained fatty acids thatare incorporated in its cell membranes. These

more complex fatty acids are also available,preformed, directly from food.

This is important, because the brain's ability toassemble these fatty acids can be

compromised by stress, infections, alcohol,excess sugar, and vitamin or mineraldeficiencies factors common today.


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DHA

DHA - most abundant fat in the brain.

DHA & AA - crucial to the optimal developmentof the brain and eyes. During pregnancy themother supplies the developing fetus with thesefatty acids, and she continues to provide this

important brain food to her infant through breastmilk.

Loss in DHA concentrations in brain cellmembranes correlates with cognitive

impairment, depression. neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's

and Alzheimer's appear to exhibit membrane lossof fatty acids.


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The fatty issue

Low essential fatty acids in fetal umbilical cords

correlate to low birth weight, small headcircumference, and low placental size.

imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may

lead to a variety of mental disorders, includinghyperactivity, depression and schizophrenia.

This imbalance can be corrected by eating moreomega-3-rich fish and flax seed oil, by eating less sugar,and by completely avoiding trans fatty acids found inpartially-hydrogenated oils, margarine, and shortening.


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Trans fats..

Dietary trans fatty acids foundtheir way into the myelin ofbrain cells, where they changedthe electrical conductivity of the

cells.

Furthermore, when the dietswere already deficient in

omega-3 ALA (alpha-linolenicacid), then the incorporation oftrans fats was apparentlydoubled.


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Trans fats in breast milk

In a Canadian study of human breast milk,trans fatty acids (TFAs) averaged 7.2% of thetotal fatty acids.

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils were

determined to be the major source of theseunnatural fats.

Also, levels of LA (linoleic) and ALA were

inversely related to the total TFAs, indicatingthat the elevation of TFAs in Canadian humanmilk is at the expense of essential omega-3and omega-6 fatty acids.


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Trans fats

Trans fatty acids found in foods like french fries,margarine, potato chips and anything else withpartially hydrogenated oil disrupt communicationin our brain.

These altered fats will pack more tightly togetherinto the cell membrane, making it more saturatedand rigid less flexible and less able to function

properly. Trans fatty acids are rarely found in nature and

are mostly man made.


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Breast milk magic

IQs of breast-fed babies arehigher than that of formula-fed babies.

nutrients in breast milk andmaternal bonding havebeneficial effects on IQ.

Infants deprived of breastmilk are likely to have lowerIQ, lower educationalachievement.


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Breast milk magic

Breast milk - the long-chain polyunsaturated

fatty acids (LC PUFAs) - play important roles in

brain development. The most well-known is

docosahexanoic acid (DHA).

DHA helps the brain manufacture myelin.

Breast milk - Cholesterol - important for brain

development. Like DHA, cholesterol is crucial

to the production of myelin.

At present, infant formulas do not contain

cholesterol.


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Breast milk magic

Adding DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)and AA (arachidonic acid) to infant

formula significantly boosted the

average intelligence scores in a

group of children.


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Every wife probably thinks that

.herhusbandis

MORON.


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.shouldMoronhusbandsBemore

frequentlyputon

breast..??

If breast feeding improves IQ


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Acetyl-L-carnitine

Acetyl-L-carnitine is able to cross into the

brain more effectively than regular carnitine.

Acts as a powerful antioxidant and increases

levels of acetylcholine. It is acetylcholine

which becomes deficient in the brains of

Alzheimers.

l L


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Acetyl-L-carnitine

Prevents hypoxic brain damage - very helpfulfor stroke victims.

Reduces the amounts of damaged fats such aslipofuscin in the brains of aged - useful in the

prevention and treatment of free-radical

mediated diseases such as Alzheimers andParkinsons disease.


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Acetyl-L-carnitine

Increases levels of nerve growth factor

(NGF)also increases the ability of the body

to use NGF more effectively.

Helps maintain the myelin sheath around the

nerves

Helps to preserve the genetic information

(DNA and RNA) in our cells.


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Iron frame for brain..

ID during gestation/lactation alters

neurometabolism,neurotransmitters,

myelination, and

gene/protein profiles

before and after iron repletion at weaning.


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Human infants with iron deficiency anemia test

lower in cognitive, motor, social-emotional, and

neurophysiologic development than comparison

group infants

Iron therapy does not consistently improve

developmental outcome, with long-term

differences observed.

I f f b i


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The acquisition of iron by the brain is an age-

related and brain-region-dependent process

with tightly controlled rates of movement of iron

across the blood-brain barrier.

Dopamine receptors and transporters are

altered as are behaviors related to this

neurotransmitter.

brain iron deficiency in early life has multiple

consequences in neurochemistry and

neurobiology.


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Take home message..

Pay close attention to maternaldiet & health.

Encourage breast feeding. Look for foods with

lower levels of saturated fats &trans fats.

Micro-nutrients especially I,Fe,Mg, Mn, Zn & vitamins especiallyvit B2,6,12 , folic acid, niacin, vitC, E are important dietarycomponents.

Know what your child iseating & set a good example.

Balance the foodwith physical activity.


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Like Beer bars..

Dr. Munnabhaiwill set up

Nutri- bar..


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where Pregnant Bipasha will demand

for a nutri-cocktail

which will make her daughter

as beautiful as Madhubala

as intelligent as V. Anand

as graceful as Rekha

as humble as Amitabh

&..

&

&.


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At the end..

To define

optimal growth &nutrition is

as difficult as

finding a perfect

HUSBAND..


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Perfect HUSBAND..B-raveI-ntelligent

G-entle

P-olite

E-nergeticN-utty

I-ndustrious

S-ensitive

Well.you may only read the capital

letters &.

achieve perfection!!!


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Braindev&Nutrition-By Dr Sheetal Gandhil

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Transcript of Braindev&Nutrition-By Dr Sheetal Gandhil