Junk food can lead to lower IQ in children

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 by: Shona Botes
Tags: junk food, intelligence, health news

(NewsTarget) Researchers in Britain have discovered that feeding your children junk or processed foods can actually lower their IQ. The diets and general health and well-being of 14000 children born from 1991 to 1992 in western England were monitored at ages three, four and a half, seven and again at age 8. It was found that a poor diet during the early developmental years could in fact lead to a lower IQ by the age of 8.

Parents had been asked to complete questionnaires detailing the foods and drink that their children consumed, among other things. From this, it was evident that three dietary patterns had emerged. One was very health conscious and included salads, fruit, vegetables, pasta and rice. The second included a traditional meat and vegetable diet, and the final dietary pattern was high in fats, processed foods and sugars.

The children`s IQ was again measured at age eight, and it was discovered that there was a significant difference between those who consumed the diet of processed and junk foods to those who consumed the salads, fruit and vegetables. Those consuming the diet of processed foods scored an average of 101 IQ points; whereas, those consuming the healthier diet scored an average of 106 IQ points. IQ point scoring fell by 1.67 for each increase on the chart that reflected the amount of processed fat they consumed.

A healthy and balanced diet seems to be just as important to raising your child`s IQ levels as it is to keeping them healthy in other areas as well. It`s therefore important to ensure that your child eats a wide variety of fresh, whole foods and avoids the junk food, especially during the developmental years, as it does affect them later in life. Damage is done by the consumption of these junk and processed foods during the early years. A lower IQ makes them less able to cope with school, peer pressure and many other areas in life.

From a young age, children should be encouraged to consume raw, whole foods and avoid junk foods completely.

Sources:

http://www.france24.com/en/20110208-junk-foo...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/scie...
http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=40026...
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/10/19/...

About the author

Shona Botes blogs about green living, budgeting, saving money, natural remedies and humour (which is often combined with the abovementioned topics). Her spare time is spent tending to her organic herb garden, cycling and engaging in photography.
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