A study has found that children who eat organic foods may have better cognitive development. Parents everywhere know that what a child eats is important for their growth and development. That is why mealtime can be incredibly stressful, especially if mom is dealing with a picky eater. She may worry that they are not getting the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy. Studies are constantly being done to see just how the food our children eat affects their growth and development.
Organic food has always been seen as “superior,” and people have been encouraged to eat an all-organic diet despite it being inaccessible for some families. According to Medical Xpress, a new study has found that organic foods can aid in positive cognitive development.
The study was completed by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute. It was published in the journal, Environmental Pollution, and can be read in full here. In short, the study found that school-aged children that had more organic food intake, scored higher when it came to fluid intelligence (the ability to solve reasoning problems).
Jodi Julvez was the lead author of the study and he stated some reasons as to why this may be. He said that organic diets are more nutrient-rich than fast-food diets for the brain. The number of fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants in these foods may enhance cognitive function and development in childhood.
The study also found trends that can lead to a decreased function in intelligence scores. Things like fast food diets, overcrowded houses, and tobacco smoke can all hinder development and should be avoided. The study looked at more than 1,200 children between the ages of 6 and 11 years old from 6 different European countries.
The purpose of the study was to look at the exposures on the brain and what can have an influence on it as the brain is still developing rapidly through this time. This does not mean that children need to be eating all organic for every meal, but that their intake of organic foods should be higher than their fast-food intake.
This can cause complications for a lot of families who may not have the financial resources or time to purchase and prepare organic meals for their children every day. However, they are encouraging parents to try as much as they can as it does show that it does improve cognitive function.
Sources: Medical Xpress, Science Direct