A lack of a single vitamin, found in animal products, can disrupt a child’s brain development.
Scientists from the Norwegian University Uni Research have summed up the results of another long-term study. The focus of their attention was on the relationship between the mother’s diet and the development of the child – intrauterine and in the first years of life.
Scientists went to Nepal to conduct research. Why exactly there? Because the standard of living there is extremely low. Therefore, pregnant women do not have the opportunity to fully eat: their diet lacks meat, milk, eggs, fish, and seafood. And this, as it turned out, affects the mental development of their children.
Scientists took blood samples from five hundred babies. It turned out that almost everyone has a low level of vitamin B12. It is found primarily in animal products, fish and seafood. B12 is also found in algae and tofu, but there it is much less, and it is less absorbed from these products.
– The B12 level was not critically low. But lower than recommended for the normal development and growth of the child, – said the head of the research group Ingrid Questid.
Five years later, scientists returned to these children and tested them for various cognitive functions. It turned out that all these kids have some mental disabilities. It was difficult for them to solve puzzles, they hardly remembered letters. And even other people’s emotions were determined with difficulty – they were not able to distinguish where there was aggression, where there was a smile.
It turns out that due to improper nutrition of the mother, the development of the child’s brain was disrupted. But, recall, it was about Nepal, where people simply cannot afford animal products. And in more developed countries, people often deprive themselves of meat, eggs and fish voluntarily – out of conviction. Yes, we are about vegans. The kid unwittingly shares her diet with her mother. And if she does not receive B12, then the child, not yet born, is deprived of it. Therefore, scientists recommend: if you do not eat meat, then take vitamins in addition. Otherwise, there is a risk that your child will develop at the same rate as the poor Nepalese children.