Boulder Nutrition for Attention and Emotion Regulation
Nutrition is essential for child brain development, which lays the foundation for lifetime attention, emotion, and behavior regulation, and overall mental health.
Essential nutrients that support brain development and mental health include:
- Vitamins: A, B, C, D, & E.
- Minerals: Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, Selenium.
- Fatty Acids: Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).
- Dietary Fiber.
Studies also identify harmful impacts of sugar, artifical additives, and processed/factory foods on overall mental health in children and adults alike.
Avoiding Harmful Foods
“Food additives found in most brand-name products can disrupt brain development and long-term mental health,” says Dr. Brenna Bray (PhD).
Dr. Bray is a leading nutrition and mental health researcher, educator, family health and nutrition coach. She provides the following tips:
- Ask: “Do I know what plant or tree this food comes from?“
- Favor single-ingredient foods without pre-packaging.
- Avoid the center aisles of the grocery store where you’ll find most processed foods.
- Focus your shopping on the perimeter edges of the store where you’ll find most real foods.
Foods Ingredients to Avoid
Harmful food additives found in most highly processed foods include:
- Added Sugars & Sweeteners (corn syrup, cane sugar, aspartame, Splenda, sweet n’ low, most diet products).
- Added Dyes & Preservatives (food colorings, monosodium glutamate).
- Saturated & Trans-Fats (shortening, fried foods, canola oil, corn oil).
Food Products to Avoid
Highly processed food products with harmful additives tend to inlude:
- Processed Breakfast Foods (Cereals, Pancakes, Muffins, Bars).
- Processed Snack Foods (Crackers, Cookies, Chips, Dips).
- Most Sauces & Dressings (pasta sauces, sala dressings, etc).
- Deli Meats (generally pre-packaged vs. carved from the deli).
- Factory Eggs and Dairy (generally indicated by packaging).
Choosing Real Foods over Processed Products
Favoring Real Foods over processed options offers two-for-one benefits:
- Real food choices avoid harms associated with processed food ingredients.
- Real food choices increase essential nutrients that support strong brain development and mental health.
“An easy rule-of-thumb is to avoid the center aisles of the grocery store, where brand-name processed food products tend to be shelved. Instead, shop the outer edges of the store, where real, single-ingredient, unpackaged foods tend to be stocked,” Dr. Bray says.
Real Foods for Mental Health
The following foods support optimal brain development and mental health:
- Green Vegetables (spinach, kale, romaine, broccoli, brussle sprouts).
- Whole Fruits (berries, bananas, avocados; fresh/frozen vs. canned/dried).
- Whole Grains (raw oats, quinoa, rice without added flavorings).
- Beans and Lentils (dried, canned, or frozen, without added ingredients).
- Raw Nuts and Seeds (flax, chia, hemp & walnuts; not roasted/salted).
- Fermented Foods (pickles, apple cider vinegar, kimchi, kefir/yogurt).
- Sparing Use: Quality flax/olive/algal oil (1tsp/meal), farm eggs (2-3/day), wild salmon/red meat (~monthly).
“Think of the Mediterranean Diet,” Dr. Bray says. “There is actually good research supporting its ability to minimize harmful food additives and the inflammation that prompts brain and behavioral disturbances.”
Is Supplementation Smart?
“It’s always smart to consult a doctor, pediatrician, dietician, nutritionist, or health coach when considering supplementation,” Dr. Bray says. ” I also recommend searching the National Library of Medicine [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] for research finings published in the past 2 – 5 years.” Studies support supplementation in the following areas:
- Prenatal Supplementation with Vitamin D & Omega-3 is suggested for mothers-to-be.
- Specific micronutrient supplementation can be recommended for children with more severe attention/ADHD symptoms and families who have less access to nutrient-dense foods. Research supports Hardy Nutritionals “Daily Essential Nutrients” used at a dose of 9–12 capsules/day, which is almost triple the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 4 capsules/day, but below the Upper Tolerable Intake Level (UL), scientists say (Robinette et al., 2023).
Overall, these guidelines can help support optimal brain development and attention, emotion, and beahvioral regulation for growing children and adults alike.
Want More?
This content was provided by the NourishED Research Foundation (NRFi), a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded and directed by Boulder local Brenna Bray, PhD. If you’d like to to see more content like this, please consider making a tax-exempt donation (www.nourishedrfi.org/donate).
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