The Need For Fat In The Diet In Developing Adolescent Brains

The brain is a complex organ that has five parts, including the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, pituitary gland and hypothalamus. These parts of the brain control a variety of functions, from memory to balance. The brain undergoes the majority of its changes during infancy and adolescence. Certain nutrients, such as fats, play a vital role in adolescent brain development.

Adolescent Brain

Although it was once believed that the adolescent brain wasn’t different from the adult brain, researchers from Cornell University and the University of Rochester found that the adolescent brain undergoes changes before reaching adulthood. Scientists discovered that parts of the brain that control self-control, emotions and judgment are not fully developed in adolescents, but instead are a work in progress, according to 2002 findings at the ACT for Youth Upstate Center of Excellence at Cornell.

Myelin

Since the brain is composed mostly of water and fat, getting both of those nutrients is vital for proper brain function. In addition, during adolescence, fats are necessary for the production of myelin, a sheath of fatty material that protects neurons in the brain. Without myelin, nerve impulses cannot be efficiently transmitted to different parts of the brain, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The findings were published in the June 2010 issue of the “Journal of Adolescent Health.”

ADHD

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a brain disorder that has increased among children and adolescents. An insufficient intake of healthy fats known as omega-3 fatty acids may be partly to blame for the increased rates of ADHD, according to researchers at Purdue University. They discovered that children and adolescents with ADHD had significantly lower blood levels of omega-3s compared with those who didn’t have ADHD. The findings were reported in the October 1995 issue of the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”

Food Sources

Fats are vital for adolescent brain development. Adolescents should focus on healthy fats, such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, and limit their intake of saturated fat and trans fat. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, healthy fats can be found in salmon, walnuts, olive oil, almonds, natural peanut butter and olives.