Healthy diets are associated with high IQ in childhood

Children who eat a healthy diet in childhood may have higher IQ scores than those who eat unhealthy "junk food," according to new research.
The study, published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, examined the link between the dietary patterns of more than
7,
children aged
8,
with an IQ score of
6,
,
15,
and
24
months.The team, led by Dr Lisa Smithers of the University of Adelaide in Australia, analysed data from the Avon Longitudinal Study
(ALSPAC)
of parents and children in the UK, revealing that children who ate a healthy diet at an early stage may have slightly higher IQs, while those who ate more junk food may have slightly lower IQs.Smithers said: "The diet supplies the nutrients needed for brain tissue development in the first two years, and the purpose of this study is to explore whether diet affects a child's IQ.found that children who breastfed for six months and had a healthy diet between
15
and
24
months, usually including foods such as beans, cheese, fruits and vegetables, had an IQ two points higher by the age of eight.she revealed: "Children who regularly ate biscuits, chocolate, sweets, drinks and chips for the first two years had an IQ two points lower at the age of eight. Theconclude that their findings suggest that dietary patterns from
6
to
24 to
months have a "small but lasting" effect on IQ at age
8
.Study Details The study, which looked at data from
7079,
children, compared a range of dietary patterns, including traditional and contemporary family-prepared foods, ready-made baby food
,
, breastfeeding, and "arbitrary food" or junk food.the authors revealed that dietary data were collected through questionnaires, using the main ingredient analysis extraction patterns each time."At all ages, any pattern
(
characterized by cookies, chocolate, candy, soda, chips
)
is associated with a reduction in IQ by
1 to 2
points," the researchers said. "" in
15
to
24
months breastfeeding mode in
6
months and home-made contemporary mode
(
herbs, beans, cheese, raw fruits and vegetables
)
and
1
to
2
points higher IQ.Smithers added: "We also found that baby food prepared at
6
had some negative effects on IQ, but some positive effects at
24
months. Smithers says her findings reinforce the need to provide children with healthy eating during critical, molding periods.warned: "It is important that we consider the long-term effects of food on our children. ”