Baby Food & Infant Nutrition may affect Mental & Cognitive Capabilities

Apr 24, 2008 Nutrition, Solids and Weaning

There is evidence that early nutrition can influence later mental performance, cognitive development and behaviour. The idea that the diet of mothers, infants and children could have an influence on long-term mental performance has major implications for public health practice and policy development, as well as for food product development and economic progress.

As we found on Scientific Blogging -

“Remarkable new research into the way environmental factors affect the development of the brain has opened up the possibility that an infant’s future mental abilities and susceptibility to mental illness can be permanently altered by dietary changes in early life.

Evidence that changes in early diet can have long term effects on brain structure, verbal IQ, eyesight, appetite regulation and possibly on neurodevelopmental outcome will be presented at the international symposium on Early Nutrition Programming in Granada, Spain (23 April).

NUTRIMENTHE will significantly improve this knowledge through studying the role, mechanisms, risks and benefits of specific nutrients and food components to respond to specific needs and improve the mental development of children. The study will run from 2005 through 2010.

20 Multidisciplinary Research Centre (pediatricians, neurophysiologists, psychiatrists, nutritionists) from eight European countries and the USA collaborate in the NUTRIMENTHE Project, ntitled “The effect of Diet on the Mental Performance of Children”. This Project will offer the opportunity to advance knowledge about how early nutrition will impact on later mental performance and behaviour, from almost 120,000 children throughout the EU.”

We all know that there is some truth to “An apple a day” and “Eat your carrots to help your eyes” now it seems we will soon learn what foods do for intelligence & mental development! Exciting!

Visit the Early Nutrition Programming site to learn more

Tags: infant studies, medical news, Nutrition