Unhealthy breakfast promotes disruptive behavior in young children

Researchers at the University of Agder (UIA) have identified a clear link between what children eat and their mental health from the age of four.

Children who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables show less symptoms of anxiety and restlessness. People who eat too many sweet and salty foods display more disruptive behavior.

There’s such a clear connection between what we eat and how we feel physically and mentally that we need to talk about it more.”

Nina Cecily Overby, Professor at UIA

With her colleagues Christine Helle and Elisabeth Rudjord Hilsund, she has studied the diet and behavior of 363 Norwegian four-year-old children.

More fruits, less difficulties

“There have been many studies on the relationship between diet and mental health, but most of them have focused on adolescents and adults. For children so young, the evidence base is limited,” says Hillesund.

Parents in the study reported how often their children ate various foods. Also, the children’s behavior was assessed using a questionnaire that measures two types of difficulties: internalizing behaviors such as anxiety, sadness, and withdrawal, and externalizing behaviors such as anger, restlessness, and concentration difficulties.

“The more often children ate fruits and vegetables, the lower their scores on both types of behavioral problems,” says Hayley.

Children who ate too many sweet and salty snacks showed more signs of disruptive behavior.

“The effect of unhealthy food was actually stronger than the protective effect of fruits and vegetables,” says Hillesund.

multiple explanations

Why are diet and mental health linked even at nursery age? Researchers point to several possible explanations.

On the one hand, fruits and vegetables contain nutrients such as antioxidants, folate and minerals. These may help protect the brain from inflammation and oxidative stress. Sweets and fats, on the other hand, may negatively affect brain plasticity in areas important for mental health.

But the explanation may also lie in food.

“Vegetables are often part of what we eat at dinner. Shared family meals are important for the quality of our diets, but also for quality of life and well-being,” says Overby.

cause and effect

This study is a cross-sectional study. This means that researchers have a snapshot of time and they can’t say with certainty what is cause and what is effect.

“It’s conceivable that it might be more tempting for a parent to give sweets to a demanding child, whether to console them or to give in to their whining,” says Hillesund.

Still, researchers believe it is most likely the diet itself that affects children. They adjusted for several factors that might otherwise explain the correlation, including the family’s financial situation and parents’ education.

“Mum’s mental health is an important factor in how babies feel about themselves, but we’ve taken that into account too,” says Hayley.

Food as prevention

Mental health issues are a major health challenge in society. Among adolescents in Norway, one in five girls and one in ten boys experience high levels of mental distress. Research shows that problems that arise at an early age often continue to affect the child later in life.

“It’s important to intervene early and prevent it,” says Hayley.

Researchers believe the findings support public health work already being done, but also show that more should be done. They highlight food in nursery schools, dietary guidance in health clinics, support for parents and training for teachers.

“When we talk about healthy diet, it’s often in the context of avoiding heart disease by age sixty. But diet matters for our mental health right here and now. Children need to be social, grow, learn, and interact with others. We don’t want what they eat to hinder that,” says Overby.