5 Foods That Will Make Your Baby Smarter.
Here are five foods that will make your baby smarter:
1. Wild-Caught Fatty Fish: Fatty fish is one of the best places to find long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are particularly important for your baby's developing brain because they're literally what a human brain is made of — 60 percent of the brain is fat. And 20 percent of that is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid).6 Essential fatty acids don't only make up brain tissue. They also play a key role in a healthy immune system and help to regulate gene expression in the brain.
2. Fish Roe and Egg Yolks: Because eggs offer everything an embryo needs to grow, they are typically packed with a spectrum of nutrients that support development. Fish eggs — such as salmon roe — and egg yolks are a good source of vitamin D, folate, and choline.9 Choline is an important nutrient for the brain because it supports neurotransmitter synthesis and the healthy expression of DNA. Like folate, choline protects against neural tube defects during pregnancy.10 It's also essential for good memory.
3. Liver: Like fatty fish, roe, and yolks, liver can almost do it all. But unlike these foods, liver isn't as prized in modern culture. It's usually the thing that's thrown away or fed to pets. Still, liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods that you can offer your baby and eat during pregnancy.
4. Fermented Spirulina: Spirulina is blue-green algae and not true microalgae. Because of this, spirulina does not have tough cellulose walls. This means that the nutrients in spirulina are more bioavailable than other microalgae, especially when fermented. Fermented spirulina boasts a full amino acid profile, and it's an excellent source of minerals, including iron and calcium. According to some reports, the iron in fermented spirulina is twice as absorbable as the iron in vegetables and 60 percent more absorbable than iron drops commonly given to babies.14 Fermented spirulina is also a prebiotic — it naturally encourages the growth of good bacteria in the gut.
5. Fermented Foods: There are several big benefits to giving your baby fermented foods early on. Just by adding small amounts of fermented vegetables — such as cabbage, carrots, and onion — to your baby's cereal, you double the bio-availability of iron.17 As gentle and nourishing fermented foods like kefir move through the digestive tract, they introduce probiotics — good bacteria and yeast that have been found to support health. The network of support created by probiotics extends beyond the gut, influencing your baby's immune system and behaviour.