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Junk food is going down in history as the worst enemy to human health. To show how bad processed food is; children fed predominantly on processed food at early age end up with lower IQ.

On the other hand, children fed on healthy foods rich in vitamins and nutrients have higher IQ.

Good news is that, the healthier the diet, the higher the IQ.

This study was published in Journal of epidemiology and community Health and looked at data collected by the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), which tracked the food and drink habits of around 14,000 children born in 1991 and 1992.

ALSPAC is a is a long-term health research project in Bristol UK, in which more than 14,000 mothers enrolled during pregnancy in 1991 and 1992, and the health and development of their children has been followed in great detail ever since.

Three distinct feeding patterns were observed

1.      Healthy- These were high in fruits and vegetables

2.      Conventional- These were high in meat and vegetables.

3.      Processed foods- These were high in fats and sugar.

Children who consumed a lot of junk foods at age of three had lower IQ at the age of 8. While those fed on healthy foods at that age had a higher IQ.

Change in the diet from junk to healthy or vice versa between ages 4-7 had no effect on intelligence.

The most astounding factor is that, for each score in unhealthy foods, the IQ dropped by 1.67 while for every score in healthy foods, the IQ increased by 1.2.

To make your children geniuses, feed them healthy foods.

Reference:  Are dietary patterns in childhood associated with IQ at 8 years of age? A population-based cohort study

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health