The Effects of Nutrition on Cognitive Behavior Development

The positive effects of proper nutrition are well-documented in the medical field. In particular, a good diet can improve all facets of the human body, both physically and mentally. Although it is easier to measure the physical effects of proper diet, there are, nonetheless, a great number of positive effects on the mental front as well. In particular, cognitive behavior development is greatly improved with the introduction of proper diet, although certain vitamins are much more effective to this end than others.

First, it is important to study data from objective tests to see which vitamins provide the greatest benefits to cognitive behavior development. To this end, it is important to use children and young adults for this test, as they are their minds are still growing, and they are much more receptive to changes in diet. A study by Hermoso et al. found that introducing iron into the diets of children and adolescents had a profound effect on cognitive behavior development. The study found that, over a long period of time, supplementing their diet with iron provided a positive impact on cognitive development of all types, including behavioral. This study proves that it is very possible for a diet to have a profound impact on cognitive behavioral development, especially in children.

Another facet of how diet and cognition are related is their ability to stop cognitive degeneration. Specifically, old age has a profound negative impact on cognitive ability across all demographics. However, a study by Susan J Duthie et al. found that adding B-vitamins and folate caused a positive correlation in cognitive behavior in the test subjects, all of whom were elderly. This study helps to demonstrate that proper diet (specifically plenty of B-vitamins) can not only promote healthy cognitive development in children and young adults but also slow the rate of cognitive degeneration in the elderly.

In addition, recent studies have shown that many people, especially the elderly, have a startling deficiency in the nutrients that support cognitive health. A study by David J. Llewellyn et al. found that between 40% and 100% of the elderly in the U.S. and Europe were vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D is another nutrient important for cognitive development because “it plays an important role in the expression of neurotrophic factors, neurogenesis, calcium homeostasis, detoxification, and β-amyloid clearance.” These tests help to illustrate how multiple vitamins can ease the rate of cognitive decline. It does not take a special pill or anything, since vitamins B and D are relatively common, but simply a good diet, in order to maintain cognitive health.

The reason a lack of vitamins causes observable cognitive effects is due to the brain having to produce whatever vitamins it is lacking. This can cause a shortage in the body, eventually, and leads to a host of different cognitive problems. A study by Eve M. Taylor, Andrew Crow, and Evan H. Morgan found that, in mice, an iron deficiency caused a doubling of the iron produced by the brain. The study also found that “after the age of 15 days in the rat, there is a decline in the rate of uptake of iron by the brain, probably attributable to a decrease in the number of Tf [transferrin] receptors on brain capillary endothelial cells, and that the expression of these receptors is highly responsive to the iron status of the animal.” Essentially, this shows that there is a real, observable effect of vitamin deficiencies on not just behavior, but the brain itself. These studies also indicate that a lack of vitamins hits the body where it hurts, specifically, the brain itself. The brain is a fickle organ, and a lack of any vitamin can cause profound changes in behavior and cognitive ability, especially in young adults and the elderly.

It is important to note that supplying nutritional supplements in order to improve cognition works best when used in tandem with therapy. A study by Kroenke K. and Swindle R. found that patients who had both physical and mental ailments experienced improvement 71% of the time, and possibly a tremendous improvement in an additional 11%. The reason these forms of therapy are so effective is similar to taking vitamins. When the brain feels certain emotions, such as calmness or reassurance, it releases helpful chemicals that can function similarly to other vitamins, such as vitamin B, vitamin D, and iron.

These tests indicate a profound effect of good nutrition on cognitive behavior. In the most sensitive populations, namely, the elderly and very young, these vitamins had a clearly observable positive impact. This is why it is stressed, particularly in the medical field, how important a proper, balanced diet is. These tests have not even tried a whole host of other vitamins, so there are likely far more that have positive effects on cognitive behavior. The importance of a proper diet cannot be stressed enough. 

Works Cited

Duthie, S.J., Whalley L.J., Collins A.R., Leaper S., Berger K., Deary Ian (2002) “Homocysteine, B Vitamin Status, and Cognitive Function in the Elderly” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition vol.77 p.523

Hermoso M. Vucic V. Vollhardt C. Arsic A. Roman-Viñas B. Iglesia-Altaba I. Gurinovic M. Koletzko B (2011) “The Effect of Iron on Cognitive Development and Function in Infants, Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review” Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 59(1-4) p.1-5

Kroenke K., Swindle R. (2000) “Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Somatization and Symptom Syndromes: A Critical Review of Controlled Clinical Trials” Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics p.205-215

Llewellyn D.J., Lang I.A., Langa K.M., Muniz-Terrera G., Phillips C.L. Cherubini A., Ferrucci L. Melzer D. (2010) “Vitamin D and Risk of Cognitive Decline in Elderly Persons” JAMA Internal Medicine 170(13) p.1-9

Taylor E.M., Crowe A., Morgan E.H., (2006) “Transferrin and Iron Uptake by the Brain: Effects of Altered Iron Status” Journal of Neurochemistry 57(5) p.1584-1592