Effects of diet on behaviour and cognition in children

Abstract

Diet can affect cognitive ability and behaviour in children and adolescents. Nutrient composition and meal pattern can exert immediate or long-term, beneficial or adverse effects. Beneficial effects mainly result from the correction of poor nutritional status. For example, thiamin treatment reverses aggressiveness in thiamin-deficient adolescents. Deleterious behavioural effects have been suggested; for example, sucrose and additives were once suspected to induce hyperactivity, but these effects have not been confirmed by rigorous investigations. In spite of potent biological mechanisms that protect brain activity from disruption, some cognitive functions appear sensitive to short-term variations of fuel (glucose) availability in certain brain areas. A glucose load, for example, acutely facilitates mental performance, particularly on demanding, long-duration tasks. The mechanism of this often described effect is not entirely clear. One aspect of diet that has elicited much research in young people is the intake/omission of breakfast. This has obvious relevance to school performance. While effects are inconsistent in well-nourished children, breakfast omission deteriorates mental performance in malnourished children. Even intelligence scores can be improved by micronutrient supplementation in children and adolescents with very poor dietary status. Overall, the literature suggests that good regular dietary habits are the best way to ensure optimal mental and behavioural performance at all times. Then, it remains controversial whether additional benefit can be gained from acute dietary manipulations. In contrast, children and adolescents with poor nutritional status are exposed to alterations of mental and/or behavioural functions that can be corrected, to a certain extent, by dietary measures.

The Role of Nutrition in Children's Neurocognitive Development, From Pregnancy Through Childhood

“…This rate of glucose metabolism in children remains elevated until 9-10 years of age, before it declines to the adult level by late adolescence (Chugani, 1998). Therefore, regular meals and continuous glucose supply (to provide the brain with the required glucose for its high metabolism) is more important in children than in adults (Bellisle, 2004). Accordingly, children are more prone to the adverse effect of overnight fasting, and breakfast is a very important meal to provide fuel to the brain in the morning (Bellisle, 2004).…”

“…We next consider the more encompassing aspects of diet, which have emerged as researchers became more interested in diet as a comprehensive measurement. The most recent research trend in this area suggests a broader analysis of the role of nutrition in neurocognitive development, which we offer here in comparison to previous reviews (Black, 2003b;Bellisle, 2004;Stevenson, 2006;Georgieff, 2007;Benton, 2010a).…”

Snacking in Children: The Role of Urban Corner Stores

“…Previous research demonstrated the deleterious effects (both immediate and long-term) of poorquality nutrition on health (eg, obesity, dental caries), 14 as well as on behavior and cognition in children. 15,16 Of additional concern is the prevalence of energy-dense and low-nutritive purchases just before children begin the school day.…”

“…Nearly one third (31.9%) of children are overweight or obese (Նthe 85th percentile of BMI for age) and 16.3% are obese (Նthe 95th percentile). 1 These rates are even higher among children of ethnic minorities who live in low socioeconomic environments, approximating 50% who are at least overweight and 25% who are obese.…”

Parental influence upon children's diet: the issue of category

“…The long term health costs of an overweight population (Gibson 1997) outweigh those of smokers (King, 2009). Interest in children"s nutritional intake is also linked to concerns about the effect of food processing upon children"s development (Bellisle 2004) and upon their behaviour (Tuormaa 1994). Concern about the influence of diet upon children"s wellbeing is therefore wide ranging (Dalmenny et al 2003) The food industry is dominated by corporate retail giants (Mintel 2008)) the majority of domestic expenditure on food being transacted therein.…”