Food serves as chemical information for our body and mind to use to produce energy for all its systems. Some of the chemical components of food are essential, meaning they need to come from food sources because our bodies cannot manufacture them by themselves. So, they need to come from an outside source, such as food. This basic principle is critical in our developmental period of life, even before we are born.
Yet little is known about the role certain nutrients have on metabolism during brain development. The development of the human brain is a gene sequenced activity, programmed in a series of coordinated steps. Each needing to take place at a specific time in its development so that each step is dependent upon the previous one.
Throughout its formation, the brain demands precise nutrients and the right times to create cellular energy necessary for tissue growth and processes to initiate. As our brain grows early on in life, nerve cells (neurons) need to be positioned properly and functioning well in order to remain healthy. This vital step is fundamental to a well-balanced brain. Improperly positioned and non-functioning neurons are a main cause of neurodevelopmental and neuropathological conditions. While other imbalances of brain development are linked to environmental stressors, malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies. These mis happenings are biological in nature and are affected by the scarcity or abundance of foods we ingest.
What role do essential amino acids play in the early development of our brain? What behavioral changes can be attributed to any deficiencies of this important nutrient?
This mystery was looked into by Professor Gaia Novarino’s group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). The findings showed that a shortage of essential amino acids resulted in severe developmental problems in mice and humans. The impacts of which had lifelong consequences.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, which are vital for stages in brain development. The study concluded that amino acid deficiencies starved nerve cells in the mice and showed severe lasting effects after birth. These included microcephaly- a reduction in brain size, which caused many behavioral changes that were seen to be similar to those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These changes persisted into adulthood.
They grew interested in research of amino acids role by first looking into trace nutrients like metabolites, substances which help break down our food to fuel our body. What caught their eye was looking into the levels of metabolites during brain development with emphasis on the relationship to the neurodevelopmental period after birth.
They noticed that a novel form of autism showed up in a certain gene, displayed the same inability to transfer, large neutral amino acids (LNAAs) because of this gene defect. This revelation triggered an interest into looking at amino acids’ role in brain development.
As it turned out, the mice with the essential amino acid deficient neurons looked healthy during the embryonic stage of brain formation. It wasn’t until right after birth, the cells affected with low levels of LNAAs, showed signs of a problem. The mutant mice developed microcephaly or smaller cortex, due to a reduction in the thickness of the outer regions of the brain.
This thinning of the outer brain layers resulted in the death of the cells because the neurons which lacked the LNAAs were less active than the healthy neurons. The team explained the phenomenon as “natural selection” process in action, resulting in the survival of the fittest.
The longer-term effects of the smaller brain persisted into adulthood for the mice. They went on to show behavioral abnormalities which included hyperactivity, motor deficits and social challenges.
The results of the study concluded that certain essential amino acid deficits demonstrated a correlation to early brain development abnormalities that went on to produce neurobehavioral changes similar to ASD. The physical brain changes were evident by the smaller thinner cortex layers in the mice with essential amino acid deficits.
I found this study to be informative in demonstrating how small genetic differences changes our ability to breakdown and utilize food. These subtle differences make powerful downstream effects in brain development and functionality.
This to me demonstrates further, the important role food plays in our development and that food really is our body’s natural medicine. Even small minute changes in how we metabolize it can have far-reaching effects for our health that last a lifetime.
-A Balanced Brain is a Better Brain for a Happier Life-