Children's diets may influence their mental health, with fruit and vegetables linked to better behaviour, according to a new study.
Children who eat more fruit and vegetables show fewer internalised behavioural issues — such as anxiety, depression and withdrawal — while those who eat more sweet and salty snacks show greater difficulties in dealing with externalised problems, including aggression and attention issues, a new study has found.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Agder in Norway and published in the journal Nutrients suggests a strong link between diet and the mental health of young children.
“Mental health challenges are increasing worldwide. Identifying preventable factors for such challenges is important and will have the greatest impact if identified in young children,” the researchers wrote.
The study noted that mental health is specifically important early in life and critical for future school outcomes, social skills and education, which influence lifelong health and socioeconomic outcomes.
As mental health problems rise worldwide, researchers are increasingly looking at diet, lifestyle and other socioeconomic factors that may be shaping this trend.
The researchers analysed data from 363 children aged 4 and their mothers from the Early Food for Future Health study in Norway, a randomised controlled trial aiming to improve diet at ages between six and 12 months.
The study found that children who ate vegetables and fruit more often showed lower levels of internalised problems such as depression, anxiety and withdrawal, independently of maternal education, financial difficulties and maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety.
At the same time, a more frequent intake of sweet and salty snacks was associated with more “acting-out” behaviours.
Young people’s struggling mental health
Externalising behaviour problems are among the most common of all childhood adjustment problems, and the main reason for referral to child and adolescent mental health services.
These entail aggressive and oppositional behaviour and predict social problems, and poor academic achievement throughout childhood and adolescence, the authors wrote.
These behaviours often begin among children younger than five years old.
According to the study, around two-thirds of children showing externalising problems between the ages of two and three years continue to show high levels of similar challenges into school age.
“This shows the importance of identifying factors relevant to mental health early in life,” the study concluded.
