A recent study found that a diet that is designed to prevent cognitive decline in adults may also help preadolescent children to maintain better focus in school. Adolescents tend to pay less attention in school because of various reasons, technology is one of them. However, this study may help in forming new nutritional ideas that focus on improving children’s cognitive abilities.
Two dietary patterns were the subject of the new study. The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet is a combination of the Mediterranean diet with healthy DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). It also includes the Healthy Eating Index of 2015 which is based on dietary guidelines for Americans.
The MIND diet lays focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, along with peas, lentils and beans. However, it may also include specific recommended food for maintaining brain health, such as leafy green vegetables and berries.
This new study used data on the grounds of a previous cross-sectional study which was led by Naiman Khan, a professor of Kinesiology and Community Health. The study had 85 participants, who range from 7-11 years old and completed a seven-day diet record. From this research, HEI 2015 and MIND diet scores were evaluated.
Although the MIND diet showed positive effects on adults and preadolescents, very few experiments are conducted on children. Therefore, young children, including toddlers and preschoolers, are the next focus of the researchers to determine whether any developmental factor is involved in the children or is same as the adult and preadolescent population.