Finland Study Shows Children’s Learning Skills Improve with Better Diet, Physical Activity, and Reading Habits

Children develop better learning skills if they have a better diet, get regular physical activity and have a habit of reading, shows a study made in Finland. In contrast, the simple combination of diet and organized physical activity has no significant effect on children’s cognition.

The research was carried out on a group of 504 children, aged between 6 and 9 years, and was carried out over a period of 2 years. The study involved dividing the children into two groups: an intervention and a control group.

Children and parents in the intervention group received nutritional counseling and physical activity counseling (30-45 minutes, in six sessions, for each type). Experts offered advice on improving diet quality, increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour. Children were encouraged to join sports clubs, where physical activities were supervised by qualified instructors and they could play various sports.

In contrast, the control group received, at the start of the study, only general advice on diet and physical activity to improve health, but no active intervention.

Other differences between the two groups were that families in the intervention group had a higher income, while children in the control group could spend more time in front of a computer and more time writing.

“The foundations of brain health and cognitive function are laid from childhood. By improving children’s brain health and cognitive abilities, investing in a healthy diet, and encouraging children to read and play sports, we help them reach their full potential,” study co-author Dr. Eero Haapala told Nutrition Insight .

Diet influences cognitive development

The intervention in diet and physical activity had no significant impact on cognitive functions, the study results showed. However, specific factors related to diet and exercise have been associated with some changes in brain development in children.

For example, consumption of low-fat milk combined with certain physical activities was positively associated with cognitive development, while consumption of red meat and sausages combined with sedentary behavior revealed negative associations.

The results highlight the potential impact of factors such as nutrition and physical activity on children’s brain development, therefore they should be included in campaigns to promote health and cognitive development, write the authors of the study.

Another study showed that there is a positive impact of carbohydrate macronutrient consumption on visual cognitive performance. In addition, a relationship was also found between vitamin B2 intake and cognitive development, while protein did not have a similar influence on brain development.

2024-01-22 21:15:22
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