Nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning

Nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning

Author: Michael Smith

Publisher: Frontiers E-books

Published: 2014-11-04

Total Pages: 154

ISBN-13: 2889193365

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‘You are what you eat’. It’s a saying that we’ve all heard time and time again. The notion that good nutrition is essential for adequate growth and sound physical wellbeing is very well established. Further, in recent years, there has been an overwhelming increase in research dedicated to better understanding how nutritional factors influence cognition and behaviour. For example, several studies have suggested that higher foetal exposure to omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins such as folate promotes neurodevelopment. B vitamins may also play a role in neurocognitive functioning in later life, with some suggestion that lower vitamin B levels are associated with increased risk of dementia (although randomised controlled trials investigating B vitamin supplementation as a cognitive enhancer in the elderly have provided inconclusive evidence as to the benefits of such therapy for dementia). In fact, the nutritional underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders of cognitive ageing is becoming a much researched topic. In addition, consumption of several other foods has been found to convey more acute cognitively enhancing effects. For example, ingestion of carbohydrates (e.g. glucose), caffeine, resveratrol and several ‘nutraceutical’ herbal extracts has been associated with short-term improvements in cognitive performance. Beyond specific micronutrients and macronutrients, the current literature seems to support anecdotal evidence that consumption of a balanced breakfast is crucial to various measures of school performance, including attention in the classroom. What is clear from this emerging literature is that the relationship between nutritional status and neurocognitive functioning at various stages of the lifespan is complex. An aim of this Research Topic is to bring together some recent empirical findings, reviews and commentaries of the literature to date and opinion pieces relating to future directions for this burgeoning field.


Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry

Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry

Author: Hardy Limeback

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-04-11

Total Pages: 405

ISBN-13: 1118280202

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Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry provides one user-friendly resource that brings together information on the scientific basis and clinical practice of all aspects of preventive dentistry. This thorough and all-encompassing resource offers techniques and strategies for maintaining excellent oral health in patients through a regimen of preventive measures. Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry is grounded in a patient-centered, pre-emptive, and minimally invasive philosophy. The book begins by covering individual diseases, such as caries, periodontitis, and oral cancer, as well as therapies (sealants, fluoride) and other relevant conditions (toothwear, hypersensitivity). Additionally, concepts such as the role of diet and nutrition in oral health are discussed. Also covered are oral care products and new techological developments in caries diagnosis and risk assessment, periodontal disease and oral cancer, as well as new developments in home care products. A valuable and comprehensive companion that will appeal to dentists and dental hygienists, this helpful new book provides its readers with one authoritative resource that offers a reliable and helpful companion to practicing preventive dentistry.


School Breakfast Program

School Breakfast Program

Author: Judi Bartfeld

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 2010-02

Total Pages: 54

ISBN-13: 1437921353

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Participation in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) is much less common than participation in the Nat. School Lunch Program, even among children with access to both programs. This report examines participation in the SBP among 3rd grade public school students, as well as the impacts of the program on food insecurity and children's risk of skipping breakfast. Students are more likely to participate when breakfast is served in the classroom, when time available for breakfast in school is longer, and when they come from lower income or time-constrained households. Children with access to the SBP are more likely to eat breakfast in the morning and that program access may enhance food security among families at the margin of food insecurity. Illus.