Will that heavily-advertised ‘brain food’ help your child become smarter? Will all those DHA-fortified baby cereals and milks with ‘brain activators’ really help your daughter or son get better marks?

OK - I am no expert either on nutrition or brain development. But common sense counts still, and I remind you there is no substitute for a good diet and good teaching and studying. These will help your child, DHA or no DHA.

Two reasons for this:

1) It’s difficult for lay people like us to make sense of all the health-related news we get from the media. DHA may be good for your brain, but will DHA pills and DHA-fortified foods make you smarter? None of the manufacturers and marketers will tell you, but the pills and supplements are not proven yet, and we really don’t know yet what effect for good or bad they will have.

To take an example, while the body’s own testosterone boosts sperm production, fertility doctors only recently found that synthetic testosterone can make men infertile. Synthetic testosterone is still taken by athletes and body builders for more energy, and by men who want better erections, who don’t understand its risks.

2) I don’t trust advertisements! In India, advertisers are still rarely held accountable for the things they say. Advertisers and marketers know that if they say something is good for your brain, parents will spend a lot of money on it. Read a book on advertising. Know how you are manipulated.

Having a good balanced diet with enough exercise and enough rest, and studying well, will help your child do well in examinations and in life. If you want her to get more DHA, give her more fish or foods containing flax oil or seeds, but always as part of a balanced diet.

Susan Vinodh Pandian

Read some more about brain development:

1. Depriving a child of affection can affect brain development

2. Marijuana use disrupts brain development in teens

3. Using methamphetamine when you are pregnant can affect your baby’s brain

4. Brain development is compromised in premature babies

1. It’s a gift of life

Your donated blood will be healthier and better quality than blood from paid donors or from relatives and friends (who may not be honest about their health history in the emergency situation of a loved one needing blood) . Donated blood saves lives - lives of people who need blood during major surgeries, people who have had accidents, children who have genetic blood diseases that cause anemia (thalassemia, for example), premature babies whose bone marrows sometimes are too immature to produce their own blood.

If you don’t donate blood these people will have to rely on family, friends, or paid donors. Even with today’s improved screening methods, this is simply not as good as having a reliable, safe stock of freely donated blood in the blood bank. They will always be at risk, however small, of receiving infected blood.

2.  You may need it some day

In this sense, you are just giving back early what you, or your family member or a dear friend, may need later. Many blood donors realize what a wonderful gift they have given only after they or someone they love need to receive a blood donation. And it’s not so uncommon either for family and friends of those who have received blood to become enthusiastic blood donors, because they want to express their gratitude to the unknown donor by passing on their gift.

I read a newspaper report about a Hindu man who was moved to tears when a Muslim came forward to donate blood for him and brushed off his attempts to thank him. (Unfortunately, I don’t remember any detail - which newspaper, which place, when. If any of you do, please tell me.)

3.  It’s safe and easy

Blood banks use disposable needles and syringes, so there is no chance of getting an infection. Most people who are healthy can donate blood - men up to five times a year and women two times, with a gap of two months between each time.  The procedure is not painful, and even if you feel a bit tired after it (very few people do)  you will recover within an hour or two, with some rest and juice and snacks. Some doctors say blood donation actually improves  your health by stimulating your bone marrow.

You will be able to go to work or to school the next day, and you will remember the experience as a rewarding one.

The only thing you should remember is to check that you are donating your blood to an reputed blood bank which follows all the safety procedures.

Susan

Read some more about blood donation on Medindia:

1. Slide animation on blood groups, blood typing, and blood donation.

2. Blood donation quiz - how much do you really know about blood donation?

3. Blood donation FAQs

4. Blood donation due date calculator

5. World Blood Donation Day (yesterday - 14 June!)

6. Interview with Dr. Srinivasan of Jeevan Blood Bank - saving lives