Why teenagers should consume more salmon, sardines, nuts and seeds
Teenagers should have more salmon, sardines, nuts and seeds included in their diets. Scientists say that the lack of omega-3 fatty acids is linked to increased anxiety-like behaviour and worse performance on memory tasks in adulthood.
A new study highlights just how important a correct diet is for teenagers. Providing adolescents with low-quality food can have effects that last well into adulthood, researchers say.
Parents are encouraged to make sure that their children have an adequate supply of omega-3 as the lack of this type of fatty acids has been linked to increased anxiety-like behaviour and worse performance on memory tasks in adulthood.
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The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience details the results of tests done on adolescent mice. The scientists say that for brain health, omega-3 acids are extremely important and in the case of teenagers, the need for these essential acids grows as the structure and function of the brain begins to change just about the same time that they gain their independence and begin to choose their own food.
But for teenagers, the food of choice is usually high-calorie and low-quality, researchers warn, as these type of diets tend to be more affordable than healthy ones. This way, adolescents deprive their brains from omega-3 which cannot be produced by the human bod and must be obtained from vegetables, fish, seeds or nuts.
Oliver Manzoni, leader of the study, and her colleagues fed mice a balanced diet until early adolescence, when some mice were switched to a diet lacking omega 3. The low-quality diet impaired the brain’s ability to fine-tune connections between neurons in these regions, the study concluded.
When it comes to foods that are rich in omega-3, nutritionists recommend seafood sources like salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. Also, high omega-3 levels can be found in different types of nuts like walnuts, and seeds like chia seeds and flax seeds. Eggs also contain omega-3 fatty acids, as well as some pasteurised dairy products.
The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids made the American Heart Association to recommend eating fish at least twice a week, fish being one of the richest sources of omega-3.
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