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VITAMIN C BOOSTS BRAIN

Pineapple, Strawberries, Kiwis Keep Kids Smart

If your tiny tot avoids fruit and veggies, he or she could be courting curtailed mental abilities. Shocking, but that is the implication of a just-published study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Danish researchers observed that young guinea pigs on a low-vitamin C diet exhibited the human equivalent of learning defects — taking up to six times longer to swim through a water maze. Data showed the difference was indeed vitamin C’s effects on the brain: The nutrient-deficient subjects had 30% fewer neurons responsible for memory and spatial direction.

“We may be witnessing that children get learning disabilities because they have not gotten enough vitamin C in early life,” said study author Professor Jens Lykkesfeldt. The good news is that even finicky eaters can eat to meet their vitamin C requirements. Though the chart below shows how much a half cup of top sources provide, even a quarter cup puts toddlers over 100%.

Source (1/2 cup)
 DRI Ages 1-3
 Kiwifruit  556%
 Red Bell Pepper  391%
 Broccoli, cooked  337%
 Strawberries  282%
 Pineapple  262%
 Brussels Sprouts  249%

In addition to brain benefits, adequate vitamin C helps growing bodies absorb more iron from other sources, build strong bones and fend off infection. Vitamin C is key not just for kids, but also for pregnant moms, to help ensure proper fetal neurological development. Another crucial but less well-known nutrient needed during pregnancy to safeguard children’s later mental aptitude: choline, found in wheat germ, salmon and eggs.

Bonus: Increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from fish and nuts has been linked to higher test scores among children.

Published February 1, 2010