Ultraprocessed Foods Affect Kids' Behavior
A new Canadian study suggests ultraprocessed foods may influence children's behavioral development. The research indicates a potential link between consumption of these foods and developmental outcomes. This reinforces nutrition advice that whole, minimally processed foods should form the foundation of children's diets.
The study, published in *JAMA Network Open*, tracked over 2,000 children from the Canadian CHILD Cohort Study. Researchers analyzed dietary information collected at age three and then assessed behavioral and emotional outcomes at age five using the validated Child Behavior Checklist. On average, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) made up 45.5% of the total energy intake for the three-year-olds in the study. This research is the first to use detailed, prospective data to link UPF consumption to standardized behavioral assessments in children. For every 10% increase in calories from UPFs, there was a corresponding rise in scores for internalizing behaviors like anxiety and fearfulness, as well as externalizing behaviors such as aggression and hyperactivity. The lead author of the study is Kozeta Miliku, an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto. The association was particularly strong for certain types of UPFs. Sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages were significantly linked to higher scores for internalizing symptoms. Ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat foods like french fries and macaroni and cheese were also associated with more behavioral difficulties. The researchers also modeled the impact of dietary changes. Their statistical analysis showed that replacing just 10% of a child's daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods with minimally processed options, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, was associated with lower, or more favorable, behavioral scores. This same CHILD Cohort Study has previously linked high UPF consumption in early childhood to an increased risk of obesity, particularly in males. At age three, these children consumed nearly half of their daily calories from ultra-processed sources.
