Eating Vegetables Prevents Autism And Schizophrenia In Children
Foods rich in folic acid, such as spinach, lettuce or cabbage, reduce the risk of children suffering from serious mental illnesses in old age adult.
When a woman consumes leafy vegetables in abundance during pregnancy, she is ensuring that her children will be more protected against mental illnesses, thanks to their content in folic acid or vitamin B9.
In Spain, it is currently the protocol for pregnant women to take a folic acid supplement to avoid neural tube malformations such as spina bifida.
In the United States and other countries, the law since the 1990s requires producers to add folic acid to cereals and flours in order to protect the child’s brain development.
Now, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospitals (United States) have discovered that folic acid also protects against mental illnesses that can manifest during adolescence or adulthood.
Folic acid lowers the risk of serious psychiatric illness
The results of the study suggest that thanks to folic acid, the incidence of serious psychiatric disorders such as autism, depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, which appears around the age of 20, can be reduced.
The study compared the brains of young people who were born shortly before or shortly after the introduction of folic acid into their mothers’ diet. The researchers saw differences in brain development.
Prevents autism and schizophrenia
The lead author of the study, Joshua Roffman, considers it very good news that serious and unhealed mental disorders can be prevented with a simple dietary measure.
The foods richest in folic acid are:
- Green leafy vegetables (arugula, spinach, lettuce, watercress, chard and cabbage).
- Vegetables such as asparagus, leek or artichoke.
- Legumes such as beans, chickpeas, soybeans, and peas.
- Brewer’s yeast and wheat germ.
- Fresh fruits such as avocado, orange, banana, and melon.
- Dried fruits such as chestnut, walnut, hazelnut and almond.
- And whole grains.
