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How Do Unhealthy Foods Affect Children's Brains?

A nutritious, well-balanced diet will lead to better health, and this also holds true when it comes to the human brain. The brains of children are still developing, and require the proper nutrients. In fact, researchers have found evidence that links a poor diet to diminished brain function and behavioral problems in children.

  1. Diet and the Brain

    • University of Southern California researcher Fernando Gómez-Pinilla analyzed more than 160 studies about the affects of food, concluding that "food is like a pharmaceutical compound that affects the brain." The key, noted the researcher, is foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, which improve the plasticity of the brain's synapses and "are essential for normal brain function." He also referenced studies indicating that children whose diets included increased amounts of omega-3 fatty acids -- which are primarily found in various types of fish -- performed better at school and had fewer behavioral problems. Adequate levels of folic acid -- found in foods such as spinach and orange juice -- are also essential to proper brain function.

    Unhealthy Diets

    • Gómez-Pinilla also pointed out that eating too much can have a negative impact on a child's brain; consuming too many calories can reduce the flexibility of synapses and increase the cells' vulnerability to damage. In addition, says Gómez-Pinilla, a diet that is high in trans and saturated fats can have an adverse effect on mental cognition, and studies indicate that junk food and fast food can also have a negative affect on the brain's synapses and molecules within the brain that are related to learning and memory.

    Behavior

    • An article published in the U.K.'s "Daily Mail" discusses a 2005 study undertaken at Oxford University indicating that a child with a nutrition-poor diet was likely to be an underachiever with a variety of behavioral disorders. In the study, close to 40 percent of children who were given omega-3 supplements made "dramatic improvements" in reading and spelling, and also exhibited improvements in concentration and behavior in school. According to Oxford researcher Alexandra Richardson, "Food affects behavior. ... If you paid attention to diet you could really make a difference."

    Long-Term Effects

    • Ensuring a child has sufficient nutrients for optimal brain development during his early formative years may have long-term consequences. At the onset of adolescence, the brain stops growing and begins to shrink, and a nutrient-poor diet can cause this to start early and happen faster. As Oxford's Dr. Richardson notes, unhealthy trans fats -- typically found in junk food -- can actually displace healthy fats in the brain, and a steady diet of trans fat over a period of years could permanently damage development of the brain.

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