Walk through any elementary school across the country and you‘ll see firsthand that learning disabilities are at an all-time high. According to the latest government statistics, approximately 8 to 10 percent of schoolchildren suffer from some type of learning disability, whether it is difficulty deciphering numbers, coordinating movement, or mastering reading.
So what‘s causing the spike in learning disabilities among our children? Researchers at the University of Copenhagen think they‘ve uncovered a major cause: vitamin C deficient mothers.
Researchers at U of C tested vitamin C deficient guinea pigs and compared them against guinea pigs with adequate levels of the vitamin. They found that vitamin C deficient guinea pig suffered learning disabilities. In fact, their spatial memory was "markedly" worse, according to the University press release. In addition, the vitamin deficient guinea pigs had 30 percent fewer hippocampus neurons. These special brain cells help with learning and gathering new information.
It‘s a big jump from guinea pigs to humans, but bear with me. Like guinea pigs, we must acquire vitamin C through the foods we eat. Our bodies don‘t make it naturally. So -- if a guinea pig with a vitamin C deficiency exhibits problems learning, it‘s fair to assume that humans might suffer similar consequences.
In addition, U of C researchers are currently examining the effect a vitamin C deficiency among pregnant mothers has on guinea pig babies. Does it affect their learning? The next step, of course, is to study the theory in humans.
Can a vitamin C deficiency in a pregnant woman cause learning problems for her unborn child later in life? Dr. Jens Lykkesfeldt, the study‘s lead researcher, seems pretty confident it can.
According Dr. Lykkesfeldt, "We may thus be witnessing that children get learning disabilities because they have not gotten enough vitamin C in their early life. This is unbearable when it would be so easy to prevent this deficiency by giving a vitamin supplement to high-risk pregnant women and new mothers."
As a reminder, I urge even the healthiest of individuals (especially pregnant women) to get at the very minimum 2,000 mg (1,000 mg 2x daily) of vitamin C. If you know of any pregnant mothers, make sure to forward them this week‘s Guide to Good Health. It may just save their unborn child from suffering a learning disability later in life.
|
