What is it about?
Adequate nutrition is the foundation of normal physical andcognitive development in children. We found that a diet high in vegetables, fruits, high fibre grain products, and fish and low in red meat was asociated with better cognition in boys.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
The evidence that children's diet include a high intake of saturated fat and sucrose, a high consumption of fast foods, and a low consumption of vegetables is alarming. Abundance of foods containing lots of sucrose and saturated fat may impair cognitive functions in children. Our findings demonstarted that poor diet quality was associated with worse cognitive perfomance in boys. Consistently poor diet quality may impair academic performance and subsequent education in children and adolescents.
Perspectives
Isn't it sometimes hard to get kids to eat their veggies? But as a father of two, I suggest we all continue to offer colourful foods, fatty fish, and high fibre grain product to our children. It may make a difference even in school.
Dr. Eero Haapala
University of Jyväskylä
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Associations of diet quality with cognition in children – the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study, British Journal Of Nutrition, August 2015, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0007114515001634.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
