Finnish child study: unhealthy diet worse for brain than malnutrition!
Results from a Finnish study do not lie: excessive consumption of saturated fats, red meat and sausage are harmful to children's cognitive (*memory) development. Poor fish consumption also has repercussions.
The study involved 428 boys and girls between the ages of six and eight. The researchers looked at whether there was a relationship between the Baltic Sea Diet Score (BSDS) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score ( *the diet against high blood pressure). In addition, they looked at the score on the multiple-choice intelligence test according to Raven's Progressive Matrices (RCPM).
The Baltic Sea Diet Score measures intake of fruits, berries, vegetables, high-fiber grain products, low-fat milk, fish, red meat and sausage, among others. DASH is similar but also measures salt intake and consumption of sugary drinks, among other things.
In all children, there appeared to be a direct correlation between dietary scores and results on the IQ test. The more vegetables, fruits, fish, unsaturated fatty acids and fiber were eaten, the higher the intelligence score. Lower scores were directly related to relatively higher consumption of red meat, sausage, saturated fat and salt.
Although healthy foods can have a positive effect on cognition, the researchers emphasize that the link between intelligence scores and overall diet is stronger than that between intelligence scores and individual foods. In other words, eating healthy across the board has much more effect than the occasional apple in the lunch box.
"Good nutrition is the basis for normal physical and cognitive development in children. In fact, in developed countries it now appears that unhealthy nutrition has a greater negative impact on cognition than malnutrition," the researchers warn in the British Journal of Nutrition.
To outline the situation in the Netherlands: according to CBS, of children between four and twelve years old, about 30% meet the standard for fruit, 33% for vegetables and only 9% for fish. In the 12 to 16 age group, this even drops to a paltry 14% (fruit), 21% (vegetables) and 6% (fish).
Resources
[1] Eero A. Haapalaa, Aino-Maija Elorantaa, Taisa Venäläinena, Ursula Schwaba, Virpi Lindia and Timo A. Lakkaa, Associations of diet quality with cognition in children - the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study, British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 114 / Issue 07 / October 2015, pp 1080-1087
[ 2] http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/themas/gezondheid-welzijn/publicaties/artikelen/archief/2015/nederland-eet-onvoldoende-groente-fruit-en-vis.htm