Proper nutrition can help developing children grow big and strong and meet their milestones. However, what many parents don’t realize is that what your child eats can also impact their behavior. Research shows that nutrition can impact everything from a child’s growth to their mood, behavior and learning capabilities.
A wide range of studies show how nutrition affects children’s learning through having an impact on their thinking skills, health and behaviour. For example, studies have shown that a diet high in saturated fats can adversely impact leaning and memory; while nutritional deficiency early on can affect the cognitive ability of school age children.
There are seven major reasons why childhood nutrition is so important. Proper nutrition in children… Supports the immune system Establishes good eating habits Provides essential vitamins and minerals Ensures proper physical growth and development Promotes brain development
If a child obtains too much nutrition, or overeating/drinking, it can cause health problems such as obesity, binge eating disorders, and depression or sadness. However, if a child lacks proper nutrition or is malnourished, they can have stunted growth and developmental delays.
Hannaford suggests that poor nutrition increases the stress on our physical and psychological systems which can lead to poor behaviour. She says that without sufficient water, good fats, amino acids and complex carbohydrates and sugars, the frontal lobes of our brains can’t function properly.
Children with insufficient diets are reported to have more problems with health, academic learning, and psychosocial behavior. Malnutrition can result in long-term neural issues in the brain, which can impact a child's emotional responses, reactions to stress, learning disabilities, and other medical complications.
Food insecurity has been linked to nutrient deficiencies that lead to learning and development problems, especially among infants and toddlers. Long-term effects include low achievement in school, emotional problems, and poor health.
Optimal nutrition in early childhood not only supports growth and development to the child's full potential, it can also initiate and reinforce healthy eating habits that contribute to overall health and well-being, and that may extend into later childhood and beyond.
Nutrients such as folate, vitamin B6 and choline are necessary to synthesize certain brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, that regulate mood and memory. An imbalance of neurotransmitters is often associated with mood-related conditions like anxiety and depression.
Consuming a nutritious diet largely increases brain development in children positively affecting learning, behavior, and productivity (Prado & Dewey, 2014). A healthy diet in conjunction with socialization in the academic environment is shown to be powerful in producing a highly developed brain.
Good Nutrition helps students show up at school prepared to learn. Because improvements in nutrition make students healthier, students are likely to have fewer absences and attend class more frequently. Studies show that malnutrition leads to behavior problems[6], and that sugar has a negative impact on child behavior.
Good nutrition during the first 2 years of life is vital for healthy growth and development. Starting good nutrition practices early can help children develop healthy dietary patterns.
Adequate nutrition is necessary for normal brain development. Nutrition is especially important during pregnancy and infancy, which are crucial periods for the formation of the brain, laying the foundation for the development of cognitive, motor, and socio-emotional skills throughout childhood and adulthood.