The Declaration of Nutrition, Health, and Intelligence for the Child-To-Be: Adapted from the Declaration of Olympia on Nutrition and Fitness, 28-29 May 1996 in Ancient Olympia, Greece, an Article by Artemis P. Simopoulos, MD, The Cente

The Declaration of Nutrition, Health, and Intelligence for the Child-to-be is an urgent cry from the unborn child for a life-span of nutrients for physical and mental wellness. It is a proclamation of paramount importance for everyone involved in child development: parents, health professionals, teachers, government agencies, all producers of food – and children, so they may learn how to feed themselves well. The Declaration of Olympia on Nutrition and Fitness, 1996, came from a group of nutritional scientists and medical doctors to commemorate the Olympic Games' 100th anniversary. They based it on the health principles of Hippocrates: genetics, the age of the individual, the powers of various foods, and exercise. Following today's vast wealth of nutritional research and expressing it with my teaching experience, I have revitalized the Declaration of Olympia by writing from the heart of the little learner and the hope of the child-to-be. The nutrients implicated in healthy reproduction and lifelong health include B vitamins, particularly B1, B6, folate, B12; antioxidants, particularly vitamins C and E; minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, selenium, iodine, and copper; and essential fatty acids, particularly DHA. These nutrients also lower the risk of neural tube defects; autism, dyslexia, Down's syndrome; childhood cancers, obesity, and defective fetal cell membranes associated with maternal diabetes. Our metabolism is hugely influenced also by activity and by affection. Today's foods are often processed beyond the cells' recognition and can result in neurological and physical morbidity and mortality. A diet of unprocessed free-range animals and seafood; legumes, deep-colored vegetables and fruits; nuts, seeds, and whole grains, germ and bran, reinstates nutritional potency.