Children who grow up on a diet of fast food meals will have a lower IQ in adulthood than those who regularly eat freshly-cooked meals, according to a study.
The study by a leading academic at London’s Goldsmith’s University shows that childhood nutrition has long lasting effects on IQ, even after previous intelligence and wealth and social status are taken into account
The study looked at 4,000 Scottish children between three and five years old and examined whether the type of main meal that children ate each day had an impact on their cognitive ability and growt
The study found that parents with a higher socio-economic status gave their children meals prepared with fresh ingredients more often, which positively affected their IQ. Lower socio-economic status was linked to more children having fast food, which led to lower intelligence.
The London study adds to a growing body of research directly linking poor diet and lower IQ. An Australian study in 2010 found that by the age eight children who had eaten a ‘junk food’ diet had IQs up to two points lower than their healthy eating counterparts. When they were tested were tested five years later and had IQ scores that were as much as five points lower than their healthier-eating peers.
