When we think of Ready-to-Use Supplementary Foods (RUSF), the immediate image that comes to mind is a sachet packed with calories, designed to help children bounce back from malnutrition by gaining weight. And that mission is critical. But is weight the full picture? In a world where 149 million children suffer from stunting and nearly 45 million from wasting, it’s time to ask a sharper question: Can RUSF do more than save lives? Can it support brain development and cognitive growth as well?
The link between nutrition and brain development
The first 1000 days in a child’s life – from conception up to 24 months after birth, the nutrition a child receives plays a pivotal part in developing the brain. In this period, the brain grows rapidly, forming neural connections at the rate of 700 per second. Which is why it is implied that nutritional deficiencies in key nutrients during the first 1000 days of a child’s life can lead to delays in physical growth and potentially impair cognitive function, memory, attention span, and emotional regulation.
Health organisations are asking parents and caregivers of children under two to shift focus from survival to ensure children not only live, but thrive physically and mentally with the right nutrition. Enter RUSF. Traditionally designed to reverse moderate acute malnutrition, RUSF is now under the lens: Can it be upgraded or re-imagined to foster brain development too?
The Micronutrient Equation
RUSF is a high-energy paste typically made from peanut base, vegetable oil, milk powder, sugar, and a vitamin-mineral premix. While it efficiently delivers fat, protein, and calories, its impact on brain development depends heavily on the quality and diversity of micronutrients it provides. To support neurodevelopment, a child needs more than just energy. Key brain-building nutrients include iron, zinc, iodine, choline, DHA and omega-3 fatty acids. All of these play a key role in ensuring optimal physical and mental health in a growing child.
Emerging Evidence: RUSF and Cognitive Impact
A 2020 randomised trial in Burkina Faso found that children who received lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS, a type of RUSF) with higher levels of DHA showed improved cognitive scores compared to those who received standard formulations. Other studies in Malawi and Ghana found that early RUSF intervention led to better language development and executive function by age 5.
But results vary. Not all studies find significant cognitive improvements, suggesting that RUSF alone is not a silver bullet. Nutrition is necessary but not sufficient. Brain development is also shaped by caregiving, stimulation, safety, and maternal health.
RUSF has transformed the landscape of malnutrition treatment. But in 2025, the bar is higher. We’re no longer satisfied with helping children survive, we want them to thrive. And thriving means thinking, playing, learning, imagining, and growing into their full cognitive potential.
At Nuflower, we understand that the next evolution of RUSF isn’t about increasing calories, it’s about increasing capacity. Capacity to learn. To connect. To dream. If we can shift how we think about supplementation from weight gain to brain gain, we’ll not only save lives, we’ll shape the future.