Researchers from the University of Bristol studied data on nearly 4,000 children born between 1991 and 1992. The children’s parents filled out surveys on their kids’ diets at ages 3, 4, 7 and 8 1/2. When the kids were 8 1/2 years old, researchers measured their IQs.
Kids with diets high in processed or fast foods at age 3 showed a small drop in IQ at age 8 1/2 when compared to kids who ate healthy foods. Specifically, for each unit increase in processed foods, IQs dropped 1.67 points and conversely, for each unit increase in healthy foods, the children’s IQs gained 1.2 points.
It could be easily presumed the differences in the families’ financial means were a contributing factor, however, the children included in the study were all more likely to be from homes their parents owned and to be from high socioeconomic backgrounds.
Are sugar and fat eroding our minds and not just our bodies?
