Nutrition and the Mind for High School Students
Nutrition not only plays a major role in the physical functions on the students, but it also greatly affects the mindset of the students. The brain is an organ just like any other part of our body, and like all the other organs in our body, the brain requires nutrients to function properly. A poor diet can ultimately affect the thinking processes of all the students, and it is the high school’s responsibility to provide the proper meal plan in order to sustain a healthy mind for the high school students. There are a number of reasons why a healthy diet leads to a healthy brain. Such reasons include protection of our brain cells, boosts our neuronal functions, etc., but the benefits of these “brain foods” are so advantageous, and there is no reason why high schools should provide their students with unhealthy foods like soda and sweets.
Brain Food: Fact or Fiction?
According to the University of Washington, our diet is one of the main factors to how our brain learns and develops. Nutrition is especially important for high school students because as adolescents, this is around the time when children start to develop their personal and social identity (according to Erik Erikson, a renowned psychologist), formal reasoning, and abstract logic. The chart to the
left shows the time line of learning development for all humans according to the famous psychologist Jean Piaget. It is critical for high schools to provide their students with the necessary nutrients so that their learning processes can develop to their fullest capacity. In fact numerous studies have shown that a healthy nutrition leads to the protection of brain cells from degradation. According to the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, foods like vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains contain numerous amount of vitamins and minerals that provide antioxidants that aid in the protection of our brain. These powerful antioxidants not only protect the nerve cells themselves but protect the neural network that functions as a communication pathway for each cell. These nerve highways are responsible for transmitting information throughout our brain, and are key players in our capacity to learn. If high school students were not provided these necessary nutrients, they would not be able to efficiently process the knowledge they learned during class that day. In addition to learning development, teenagers with a proper lunch (and breakfast) were shown to have a better memory of the event that occurred throughout the day, especially in class. The process of storing memories is analogous to that on storing produce. There is both a short term storage and a long term storage. It takes time and energy for the brain to process these short term memories into those of long term memories. The brain utilizes the same neural network that transports information to store memories into long term storage. Fats like omega-3 fatty acids provide the energy needed for the brain to start the memory processing. These omega-3 fatty acids can be found from fatty fish like tuna and salmon, nuts, and plant oils. Furthermore, the correlation between omega-3 fatty acids is supported with the research by Professor Gomez-Pinilla from the Department of Neurosurgery and Physiological Science at UCLA. He stated that omega-3 fatty acids provides support for keeping the brain's plasticity and maintains the synapses, which are responsible for the majority of the brain's memory and learning functions. Gomez-Pinilla goes on to state that other fats like trans fat and saturated fats negatively correlate with a student's cognitive processes. So high schools should try to avoid foods that are high in trans fat and saturated fats like cheeseburgers, junk food, and butter. Like any other organ within the body, the brain not only utilizes fats, but uses the two other vital macro molecules: proteins and carbohydrates. While about 60% of the brain's functions are dependent on fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, the brain still requires energy to function. The question is where does the brain actually get its energy. Just like the heart and the lungs, the brain utilizes carbohydrates to create the necessary energy in order to perform properly. Proteins on the other hand, maintain the brain tissue that is vital for supporting the brains neural network. Proteins are basically maintain the strong backbone of the brain.
The power of nutritious food not only affects the learning of high school students, but also affects their moods. The neurotransmitter ( the chemicals that relay information in the brain) serotonin is responsible for controlling our mood and acts as a calming agent when people are frustrated. Foods that are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and omega-3 fatty acids have shown that increases the availability of serotonin within the brain. High levels of serotonin have been shown to calm and relax people in time of high stress.Studies done by the Department of Health and Alcohol Research from the National Public Institute of Health have shown that those with a deficiency in Omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, and proteins were more prone to depression and anxiety. Mood directly affects the learning process in high school students. Students with poor nutrition were shown to have negative moods, and lead to those students doing poorly in class. So the idea that chocolates make a person feel better is very much true.
In addition to mood, it has been found that nutrition greatly correlates to a student’s attention span. According to Dr. Halterman from the Department of Pediatric Medicine at the University of Rochester, adolescents with anemia, an illness which leads to iron deficiency, with have shown to score lower on math tests provided to them by the researchers. Even those without anemia, they were revealed to score lower than students that had adequate levels of iron. From a sample of about 5398, about 3% of these students had an iron deficiency, and this 3% scored an average of about 86.4 out of 100, while those with normal iron levels scored an average of about 93.7 out of 100. Schools can provide their student with iron by providing their students with red meats like beef, pork, and chicken (except the breast).
Schools have actually taken into account the nutrition of their students and how it affects their psychological functions. According to the Chicago Tribune, researchers from the University of Alberta evaluated 5000 students on their lifestyle and how they performed in the class. Those that ate foods like fruit, vegetables, high fiber foods, and foods high in protein scored higher on their literacy test than those who ate a diet that consisted of food high in saturated fats and sodium. The researchers even realized that a student's background (ethnicity, family,and social) had less of an effect on the exam scores than the type of food they ate. Researchers concluded that a healthy diet for students aids in their academic performance. Helpful hints for high school students is to consume a consistent amount of calories,making sure not to have any "highs or lows" in a certain nutrient.
left shows the time line of learning development for all humans according to the famous psychologist Jean Piaget. It is critical for high schools to provide their students with the necessary nutrients so that their learning processes can develop to their fullest capacity. In fact numerous studies have shown that a healthy nutrition leads to the protection of brain cells from degradation. According to the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, foods like vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains contain numerous amount of vitamins and minerals that provide antioxidants that aid in the protection of our brain. These powerful antioxidants not only protect the nerve cells themselves but protect the neural network that functions as a communication pathway for each cell. These nerve highways are responsible for transmitting information throughout our brain, and are key players in our capacity to learn. If high school students were not provided these necessary nutrients, they would not be able to efficiently process the knowledge they learned during class that day. In addition to learning development, teenagers with a proper lunch (and breakfast) were shown to have a better memory of the event that occurred throughout the day, especially in class. The process of storing memories is analogous to that on storing produce. There is both a short term storage and a long term storage. It takes time and energy for the brain to process these short term memories into those of long term memories. The brain utilizes the same neural network that transports information to store memories into long term storage. Fats like omega-3 fatty acids provide the energy needed for the brain to start the memory processing. These omega-3 fatty acids can be found from fatty fish like tuna and salmon, nuts, and plant oils. Furthermore, the correlation between omega-3 fatty acids is supported with the research by Professor Gomez-Pinilla from the Department of Neurosurgery and Physiological Science at UCLA. He stated that omega-3 fatty acids provides support for keeping the brain's plasticity and maintains the synapses, which are responsible for the majority of the brain's memory and learning functions. Gomez-Pinilla goes on to state that other fats like trans fat and saturated fats negatively correlate with a student's cognitive processes. So high schools should try to avoid foods that are high in trans fat and saturated fats like cheeseburgers, junk food, and butter. Like any other organ within the body, the brain not only utilizes fats, but uses the two other vital macro molecules: proteins and carbohydrates. While about 60% of the brain's functions are dependent on fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, the brain still requires energy to function. The question is where does the brain actually get its energy. Just like the heart and the lungs, the brain utilizes carbohydrates to create the necessary energy in order to perform properly. Proteins on the other hand, maintain the brain tissue that is vital for supporting the brains neural network. Proteins are basically maintain the strong backbone of the brain.
The power of nutritious food not only affects the learning of high school students, but also affects their moods. The neurotransmitter ( the chemicals that relay information in the brain) serotonin is responsible for controlling our mood and acts as a calming agent when people are frustrated. Foods that are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and omega-3 fatty acids have shown that increases the availability of serotonin within the brain. High levels of serotonin have been shown to calm and relax people in time of high stress.Studies done by the Department of Health and Alcohol Research from the National Public Institute of Health have shown that those with a deficiency in Omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, and proteins were more prone to depression and anxiety. Mood directly affects the learning process in high school students. Students with poor nutrition were shown to have negative moods, and lead to those students doing poorly in class. So the idea that chocolates make a person feel better is very much true.
In addition to mood, it has been found that nutrition greatly correlates to a student’s attention span. According to Dr. Halterman from the Department of Pediatric Medicine at the University of Rochester, adolescents with anemia, an illness which leads to iron deficiency, with have shown to score lower on math tests provided to them by the researchers. Even those without anemia, they were revealed to score lower than students that had adequate levels of iron. From a sample of about 5398, about 3% of these students had an iron deficiency, and this 3% scored an average of about 86.4 out of 100, while those with normal iron levels scored an average of about 93.7 out of 100. Schools can provide their student with iron by providing their students with red meats like beef, pork, and chicken (except the breast).
Schools have actually taken into account the nutrition of their students and how it affects their psychological functions. According to the Chicago Tribune, researchers from the University of Alberta evaluated 5000 students on their lifestyle and how they performed in the class. Those that ate foods like fruit, vegetables, high fiber foods, and foods high in protein scored higher on their literacy test than those who ate a diet that consisted of food high in saturated fats and sodium. The researchers even realized that a student's background (ethnicity, family,and social) had less of an effect on the exam scores than the type of food they ate. Researchers concluded that a healthy diet for students aids in their academic performance. Helpful hints for high school students is to consume a consistent amount of calories,making sure not to have any "highs or lows" in a certain nutrient.
Wrapping it all up!
The brain is one of the most important part of the body to boost the success of students, whether they be in high school or elementary school. But adolescents especially require a healthy, nutrient rich meal in order to create a successful high school education. The adolescent period is one of the most important periods of a growing person's learning development. The abstract logic and formal reasoning skills are necessary for future success, especially at the university level and eventually their career. The picture to the right shows that the brain requires a number of nutrients in order for the brain to function properly. The brain requires the necessary energy for it to run, just like any other organ in our body.
Knowledge is one of the strongest weapons a school can provide their students. High schools need to educate their students on the importance of nutrition and how it directly affects their learning ability. With this knowledge, students can create their own guidelines to a nutritious and beneficial diet.
Knowledge is one of the strongest weapons a school can provide their students. High schools need to educate their students on the importance of nutrition and how it directly affects their learning ability. With this knowledge, students can create their own guidelines to a nutritious and beneficial diet.