Another Reason to Teach Kids to Like Salad

 
This week there was an article in Science Daily about a recent study connecting the dots between diet and IQ in young children. The study authors based their findings 4,000 children monitored at the age of 3, 4, 7 and 8.5. Diets reviewed and then labeled "'processed' high in fats and sugar intake; 'traditional' high in meat and vegetable intake; and 'health conscious' high in salad, fruit and vegetables, rice and pasta." Scores were tabulated and IQ, which was also measured at each stage, was connected. 


Turns out you are what you eat as a child. There is a noticeable connection to a higher IQ between the age of 3 and 8.5 for those children who ate the "healthy conscious" diet that was high in salad, fruits, vegetables and grains. (Word of Wisdom, anyone?) It also goes the other way. You aren't just doing children a disservice by going chintzy in the produce section, by feeding them the foods that raise their IQ, you may be lowering it. Children in the study who consistently at a "processed" diet high in boxed macaroni, happy meals and fruit snacks lowered their IQ between the age of 3 to 8.5.

"The authors say that these findings, although modest, are in line with previous research showing an association between early childhood diet and later behavior and school performance.'This suggests that any cognitive/behavioral effects relating to eating habits in early childhood may well persist into later childhood, despite any subsequent changes (including improvements) to dietary intake"

Another reason not to hesitate to feed children according to the Word of Wisdom. It matters now and down the road. It pointed me back to Proverbs 22:5: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it." And that, Carter and Lucy, is why your fruit snacks are actually real fruit, cut up. You can thank me later.