Amino Acids and Nutritional Status

Nutrition in the first years of life can have a significant impact on development, the ability to learn,
communication, analytical thinking, successful socialization, and adaptation to new situations.
Nutrition affects cognitive possibilities, including alertness, and the production or release of
neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that carry information from one nerve cell to another.
Foods are made up of more than one nutrient, and their interaction is going to affect the production
and release of neurotransmitters. Nutrition is crucial for the maturation and functional development of
the central nervous system (CNS). Neural impulses are largely resulting from sodium-potassium
exchange, but numerous others such as complex carbohydrates, amino acids (AAs) [tryptophan (Trp)
and tyrosine (Tyr)], and fatty acids affect permeability of cell membrane, neurotransmitter metabolism
and glial cells. The delicate brain chemical balance is somewhat controlled by the blood brain barrier
(BBB). Still, brain remains highly susceptible to changes in body chemistry resulting from nutrient
intake and deficiency. The direct connection between nutrition, brain function, and behavior exists,
without any doubt. It can be seen through brain's capability of receiving, storing, and integrating
sensory information, while initiating and controlling motor responses. These functions correspond to
mental activities and form the basis for our behavior. Although the brain is only 2% of the total body
weight, it accounts for 20% of an individual's energy expenditure at rest. Among brain cells, neurons
expand 70-80% of the total energy, with the remaining portion being utilized by glial cells (astrocytes,
oligodendrocytes, and microglia).