Study finished eating makes kids stupid

Study: Industrial made-ready food makes kids stupid. A healthy diet, on the other hand, promotes cognitive performance

02/11/2011

Children who eat wholesome and healthy tend to be smarter in later adulthood than their peers, who mostly consumed pre-dinner meals in their early childhood. This was the result of a study by the University of Bristol.

Eating decides on mental abilities
Eating in childhood decides to a decisive extent on how much the cognitive performance is pronounced in later adulthood. Apparently the food affects the development and expression of brain areas. That's what a study by the University of Bristol says in the Science Magazine „Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health“ was presented. Thus, a natural, balanced and vitamin-rich diet promotes brain growth. In contrast, the predominant consumption of industrially produced foods, which i.a. a lot of sugar, fat and artificial vitamins, to lower intelligence in later life.

Study data of about 4000 children evaluated
During the long-term study, scientists and social scientists observed the development of about 14,000 children born in 1991 and 1992. From the age of three, parents were asked about their child's daily diet by means of a questionnaire. At the age of eighteen, the researchers undertook an intelligence test on the children in order to measure their acquired abilities and mental capacities. In addition, the scientists divided the children into three groups. In the first group were the children, who mainly fed on finished food of the food companies. In the second group were those who ate mostly traditional food. Traditional in this context means a meat-rich diet with a low percentage of vegetables. The third group was made up of those who consumed a lot of salad, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, pasta and rice during their childhood. Since subjects quit the study for various reasons, the data of at least 4,000 children could be fully evaluated.

Better cognitive performance through healthy eating
After the evaluation, the research team came to astonishing results. The more children at the age of three took industrial ready meals, the lower the later average intelligence quotient (IQ) was. The more the children consumed unprocessed food, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, the higher their mental abilities were. However, the type of diet only affected the children until the age of three. In terms of developmental psychology, the most important cognitive abilities are formed in the first three years of life. This is confirmed by the study authors. „The effects of early childhood eating habits on brain and behavior persist into later childhood, even with subsequent dietary changes“. Parents, who fed their children mainly with healthy, natural and wholesome food, also promoted optimal growth of the brain. (Sb)

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Picture: Peter von Bechen