Research evidence suggests that poor nutrition among children would lead to problems like anti-social behaviour, exclusions and poor literacy standards that beset schools. Bernard Gesch (2005), a senior research scientist in the Department of Physiology at Oxford University, in a research carried out in prisons found out that food supplements containing vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids ensured a fall of over 35% in their anti-social behaviour and violence.
Another instance for this is an experiment conducted by Dr Alex Richardson of Oxford University (2005), involved young children (aged from six to 11) with specific difficulties in motor coordination, over 30% had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD), and 40% had specific learning difficulties and were more than two years behind in reading and spelling, in Durham (Alex, 2004). The experiment provided the children with supplements containing Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E. The recipients of the food supplements improved their reading ability at more than three times the normal rate, and more than twice the rate in spelling, over three months of treatment. There were also significant improvements in their ADHD symptoms (Lawrence, 2005). As far as India is considered, it is high time to provide nutritional education to improve both behaviour and academic standards.
World-class scientific research shows that diet can play an important role in dyslexia and related conditions such as dyspraxia, ADHD, and autistic spectrum disorders, as well as in many other aspects of behaviour, learning and mood (Alex, 2004). Dietary supplementation with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is found to be helpful in treating dyslexic children. These fatty acids are essential to the brain, and must be provided by the diet. Everyone needs them - but some people appear to need more than others (Baker, 2005). Rigorous scientific research shows that the performance of underachieving children, some of whom were also disruptive, improved dramatically when their diets were supplemented with fish oils.
Low birth weight is associated with an increased risk of serious health problems, including respiratory disorders and diabetes (B.B.C. Website, 2005). Folate, also known as folic acid, or Vitamin B9, found in vegetables (broccoli, spinach), fruit (oranges, grapefruits) and whole-meal products like bread or cereals is found to have some link with birth weight. Recommended intake of folic acid regularly is 200 micrograms per day. Women are advised to take an additional 400 micrograms a day before conception and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (Harward Medical School, 2005). It is to reduce the risk of neural tube defects with spina bifida (a congenital defect or opening in the spinal column through which the spinal membranes or spinal cord may protrude, often resulting in hydrocephalus, paralysis etc). Medical evidence suggests that folic acid influences birth weight because it is an essential nutrient for growth and plays a role in gene expression in the foetus (Baker, 2005). Pregnant women who smoked were more likely to have lower levels of folate in their blood - which might explain why women who smoke often have lighter babies. However, it has to be noted that, increased amount of folic acid consumption could make it harder to spot a deficiency of vitamin B12, which can lead to neurological damage.
Delaying the introduction of cereal-based foods into a child's diet could help avoid later gut problems, say University of Colorado scientists (B.B.C. Website, 2005). Babies had a lower chance of developing the digestive disorder coeliac disease if they were not fed grains until aged four to six months, they found. This condition is caused by proteins in grains, which damage the gut and make it difficult to digest foods. The research appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Exposure to gluten - a protein found in wheat - in the first three months of life increased the risk of coeliac disease five-fold, the study of more than 1,500 children found. Children not exposed until they were older than seven months were also more likely to develop coeliac disease than infants exposed when they were aged between four and six months.
The researchers said there were possible explanations for the apparent "safe window" for gluten exposure during infancy. For gluten to evoke an allergic reaction it has to cross the gut barrier so that it can be recognized by the body's immune cells (B.B.C. Website, 2005). At very young ages, such as the first three months of life, this barrier may not be as complete as at older ages, thus allowing gliadin to pass even with small amounts of intake (Richardson, 2004). Conversely, when wheat products are introduced to an older child, such as those older than seven months, it tends to be in larger portion sizes, thus increasing the amount of gluten available to cross the gut. Even if a small proportion of the available gluten crosses the gut, it may be sufficient to initiate an adverse response.
Treatment for coeliac disease is a gluten-free diet, which essentially eliminates foods containing wheat, barley and rye from the diet. However, children with a parent or other first degree relative with coeliac disease had a one in 10 chance of developing the intolerance themselves.
