We know how important nutrition is to physical health, but new research looks into how nutrition affects children’s emotional well-being and mental health. A study of more than 85-hundred kids at 50 schools in the U.K. finds a link between healthier food choices and better mental health. And it turns out, the kids who eat the recommended five or more servings of produce a day scored the highest on mental well-being tests.
For the study, children self-reported what they ate and answered age-appropriate questions about their moods, relaxation and their interpersonal relationships.And the results show:
- Only about a quarter of elementary school and middle school-age students get their five servings of fresh fruit and veggies a day.
- About 20% of teens and tweens and about 10% of elementary school students don’t eat breakfast.
- Kids who eat a traditional breakfast experience better well-being than those who only have a snack or drink.
- Middle school students who only have energy drinks for breakfast have especially low well-being scores, even lower than kids who don’t eat breakfast.
- And about 10% of kids aren’t eating any fruits or vegetables at all!
“We know that poor mental well-being is a major issue for young people and is likely to have long-term negative consequences,” explains lead study authorAlisa Welch. She adds that kids skipping meals and not eating a healthy diet is a concern since it affects not just academic performance, but also physical growth and emotional development.
Source:Study Finds
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