Organic Food May Be Better For Children's Cognitive Development

Parents everywhere know that what a child eats is important for their growth and development. That is why mealtime can be incredibly stressful, especially if mom is dealing with a picky eater and worrying if her child is getting enough  nutrients to grow strong and healthy. Therefore, more and more studies are constantly being done to see just how the food our children eat affects their growth and development.

Organic food has always been seen as “superior,” and people have been encouraged to eat an all-organic diet despite it being inaccessible for some families. According to this new study, organic foods can aid in positive cognitive development and children who eat organic foods may have better cognitive development.

The study was completed by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute. In short, the study found that school-aged children that had more organic food intake, scored higher when it came to fluid intelligence (the ability to solve reasoning problems). 

The study, titled “Early life multiple exposures and child cognitive function: A multi-centric birth cohort study in six European countries”, used data on 1,298 children aged 6-11 years from six European country-specific birth cohorts (United Kingdom, France, Spain, Greece, Lithuania and Norway). The researchers looked at 87 environmental factors the children were exposed to in utero including air pollution, traffic, noise, various chemicals and lifestyle factors ,and another 122 factors they were exposed to during childhood.

Jodi Julvez, the lead author of this study stated some reasons as to why this may be. He said that organic diets are more nutrient-rich than fast-food diets for the brain as fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants in these foods may enhance cognitive function and development in childhood.

The study found the trends that can lead to a decreased function in intelligence scores, things like fast food diets, overcrowded houses, and tobacco smoke can all hinder development and should be avoided. In addition, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) indoors was linked to lower working memory scores.

However, there were some surprising results discovered by researchers as well, including associations between pregnant women's green exposure and lower cognitive performance in their children. 

Researchers also found that maternal alcohol intake, higher levels of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (a type of pollutant often found in our soil, air and even drinking water), and higher prenatal mercury levels are all associated with higher cognitive performance, which the study's authors noted might be "due to confounding and reverse causality."

The purpose of the study was to look at the exposures on the brain and what can have an influence on it as the brain is still developing rapidly through this time. This does not mean that children need to be eating all organic for every meal, but It's important to make a good balance in children’s diet and make sure to fulfill all the nutrients that they need.

Often times, diet alone, regardless of whether we’re eating our 5 a day and all organic, still cannot fulfill all of the nutrients our bodies need to operate at the levels we’re demanding of it. This is why, we like to include core supplements like the below to ensure our foundational nutrients are being met. Check them out below. 

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Product Recommendation:

Salus Kindervital

Kindervital is a vegetarian liquid formula as free of alcohol, dairy, lactose, artificial sweeteners, additives and preservatives , it contains vitamins A, B, C, D and E as well as key minerals including Calcium and Magnesium that are bound to organic compounds for superior absorption. 

Udo's Oil + DHA is an excellent and certified organic vegetarian source of Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acid with DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) (algae-derived). DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for the proper functioning of brains, and for the development of the nervous system and visual abilities. Suitable for infants, kids (6 months and above) , adult and pregnant women. 

Udo's O-Krill 3 Brain support

 

Udo's O-Krill 3 Brain support 100% pure krill oil which is sustainably sourced in Antarctic and absorbs more quickly than fish oil. It contains EPA and DHA as essential fatty acids (EFAs), and also provide A source of vitamins B5, B6, B9 (Folic Acid), B12 and curcumin extract. Besides contributing antioxidants, the curcumin extract aids digestion and absorption of the healthy fats in the formula.

Sambu Guard For Kids offers a potent combination of wild grown elderberries, elder flowers and other immune enhancing ingredients such as Wild Grown Elder Flowers,Wild Grown Elderberries,Vitamin C and Acerola Cherry. A must-have for every household, Sambu Guard For Kids is most effective when taken at the first sign of a sore throat, sinus congestion or other seasonal symptom.

Udo's Children's Blend Probiotic

Udo's Children's Blend Probiotic provides 7 child-specific bacterial strains at an appropriate strength, formulated to reflect healthy childhood microflora. A child's healthy intestinal flora is similar to the bacteria found in adults. The main difference is the strength because children are smaller and require a lesser amount of these probiotics.