Those of you who have heard me speak about the recent discoveries regarding nutrition and the mind know that you can not completely separate the two. The brain is part of the body and thus subject to the quality of the diet, good or bad, just like every other cell, organ or system. Bad diets lead to bad things.
Two recent studies that looked into this relationship for our children give added support to that reality and cause for alarm. Here's the first one... I'll post the second one later.
Publishing in the August 2015 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition
Finnish researchers showed that poor diet equated to poor test scores. Looking at 428 children 6-8 years old they found those who had the lowest diet quality (lacking in whole food nutrients from fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fish) had the lowest "brain test scores" while those with the highest diet quality had the highest scores. Reality is that poor diet brings with it more than just increased risk of disease and obesity, but can also undermine a child's chances for success and achievement throughout life. Scary thought...but logical if you think about it. Bad diets lead to bad things!
Here's a quote from the researchers; "Adequate nutrition is the foundation of normal physical and cognitive development in children. Undernourishment and low availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods have been found to decrease cognitive function in children."
Think about it! Could this explain why more and more children struggle with school? The evidence suggests that's so, at least in part.
Here's the link for those who are interested.
