Study says children following healthy diets have higher IQs

By Admin
Children who eat healthy food have a higher IQ compared with those children who eat a lot of junk food says a new research from the University of Adela...

Children who eat healthy food have a higher IQ compared with those children who eat a lot of junk food says a new research from the University of Adelaide.

The aim of the study was to look at what impact diet would have on IQs of kids. The study was led by Dr. Lisa Smithers, a Public Health researcher at the University of Adelaide. She examined the link between the eating habits of children at 6 months, 15 months and 2 years and their IQ at 8 years of age. 

The study compared a range of dietary patterns in more than 7,000 children that included home-made food, junk foods, breast feeding, and ready-made baby foods.  

The results indicated that children who were breast fed at six months and had a healthy diet on regular basis as also foods like legumes, cheese, fruit and vegetables at 15 and 24 months had an IQ up 2 points higher by age 8. 

The study also found some negative effect on the IQ from the ready-prepared baby foods given at 6 months and some positive associations when given at 24 months.  

Dr. Smithers said, “Those children who had diet regularly including biscuits, chocolates, sweets, soft drinks and chips in the first 2 years of their lives had IQs up to 2 points  lower by age 8.

This study reinforces the need to provide kids with healthy diets at a crucial, formative time in their lives. 

Dr. Lisa said, “While the differences in IQ are not huge, this study provides some of the strongest evidence to date that dietary patterns from 6 to 24 months have a small but a larger impact on IQ at the age of 8. "

Share

Featured Articles

Johnson & Johnson: Turning supplier spend into local support

Johnson & Johnson’s Global Supplier Diversity & Inclusion team is growing spending with social enterprises around the globe to expand its impact

Seasonal Affective Disorder’s impact on health & solutions

Dr Ravi Gill & Dr. Naomi Newman-Beinart discuss Seasonal Affective Disorder and its treatments, from vitamin D spray to light therapy

CGI teams up with Totalmobile for digital healthcare service

CGI is driving efficiency in healthcare. Hear from Helena Jochberger, at Manufacturing Digital LIVE, a free virtual event on Wednesday 6th December 2023

Deloitte: generative AI can improve access to healthcare

Technology & AI

Wipro & NVIDIA’s revolutionary healthcare uses generative AI

AI & ML

Healthtech platform CoverSelf extends seed round to US$8.2m

Technology & AI