Children fed healthy diets in early age may have a slightly higher IQ
compared to those who eat a lot of junk food, say researchers from the
University of Adelaide.
AsianScientist (Aug. 9, 2012) – Children fed healthy diets in early age may
have a slightly higher IQ compared to those who eat a lot of junk food, say
researchers from the University of Adelaide.
The study, published online in
the European Journal of Epidemiology, looked at the link between
the eating habits of children at six months, 15 months, and two years, and
their IQ at eight years of age.
University of Adelaide Public
Health researcher Dr. Lisa Smithers and colleagues studied more than 7,000
children, comparing a range of dietary patterns, including traditional and
contemporary home-prepared food, ready-prepared baby foods, breastfeeding, and
‘discretionary’ or junk foods.
“Diet supplies the nutrients
needed for the development of brain tissues in the first two years of life, and
the aim of this study was to look at what impact diet would have on children’s
IQs,” said Smithers.
The researchers found that
children who were breastfed at six months and had a healthy diet regularly
including foods such as legumes, cheese, fruit, and vegetables at 15 and 24
months, had an IQ up to two points higher by age eight.
Conversely, children who had a
diet regularly involving biscuits, chocolate, sweets, soft drinks, and chips in
the first two years of life had IQs up to two points lower by age eight.
The team also found some negative
impact on IQ from ready-prepared baby foods given at six months, but some
positive associations when given at 24 months.
Dr. Smithers says this study
reinforces the need to provide children with healthy foods at a crucial,
formative time in their lives.
“While the differences in IQ are
not huge, this study provides some of the strongest evidence to date that
dietary patterns from six to 24 months have a small but significant effect on
IQ at eight years of age,” she noted.
“It is important that we consider
the longer-term impact of the foods we feed our children,” she said.
The article can be found
at: Smithers LG et al. (2012)
Dietary patterns at 6, 15 and 24 months of age are associated with IQ at 8
years of age.
——
Source: University of Adelaide.
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