A recent study by researchers from the University of Agder in Norway, published on the university's website for the first time at the end of May of this year, revealed clear links between children's intake of snacks and their mental health, in the preschool stage and specifically starting from the age of four.

Common snacks

Snack consumption among children has increased in recent decades, especially in wealthy countries, leading to a doubling of consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. This change in meal patterns is due to multiple factors, such as both parents working, higher income allowing families more opportunities to buy food and drink outside the home, decreased family meals at home, and increased food availability and lower prices.

The researchers explained that this dietary pattern has negatively affected children's health, both physically—such as increased rates of obesity and insulin resistance, and children developing diseases related to metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol—and psychologically, such as increased rates of anxiety and behavioral problems like aggression and tendency to violence.

Although many previous studies have discussed the relationship between diet quality and mental health, most focused primarily on adolescents and adults, and therefore there were insufficient data on the early impact of food quality on children's behavior.

The researchers analyzed data from 363 children taken from a previous study conducted in Norway entitled 'Early Food for Future Health'. These children were around four years old, and the gender ratio was approximately equal. The main goal of the data analysis was to determine the impact of these children's diet on their behavior.

Each child's diet was assessed by having parents answer questions about the frequency of consumption of certain food items per day and per week, whether these items were healthy or unhealthy. These items included (vegetables, fruit, sweet/salty snacks, soft drinks).

Each child's behavior was assessed by having parents complete a questionnaire measuring two types of behavioral problems: first, internalizing behaviors, such as feelings of anxiety, sadness, withdrawal, and reluctance to participate; and second, externalizing behaviors such as anger, aggression, restlessness, tendency to destroy, and difficulty concentrating.

The scientists controlled for all factors that could influence the outcome, such as the children's gender and environment, parents' education level, family socioeconomic status, as well as the mother's psychological state, or a family history of mental illness.

Food and Behavior

The study found that increased consumption of vegetables and fruit in children at age four was inversely associated with withdrawn behavior; the more these healthy foods were consumed, the better the child's social life and behavior. Conversely, consumption of sweet and salty snacks was positively associated with aggressive behavior, and the more these snacks were consumed, the more violent the child became.

The researchers noted that the negative effect of unhealthy food consumption on children's behavior was actually stronger than the protective effect of fruit and vegetable consumption, highlighting the danger of consuming harmful foods even alongside healthy meals.

The study explained that the reason for the association between healthy eating and mental health is that fruit and vegetables contain important nutrients such as antioxidants, folic acid, various vitamins and minerals. All these elements can help protect the brain from inflammation, and they also act as natural antioxidants, thereby improving cognitive brain functions, which is crucial for a child at the beginning of life, especially before starting school.

In contrast, consuming foods high in sugars, fats, and salts can increase inflammation and negatively affect the brain, stimulating disruptive behaviors. The real problem is that unhealthy food (such as sweets) is often given more easily to children who display aggressive behaviors, with the aim of calming them down, thus trapping children in a vicious cycle of aggression.

It is well known that mental health problems in adolescents pose a major health challenge in most developed societies. In Norway, for example, approximately one-fifth of girls and one-tenth of boys among adolescents suffer from high levels of psychological distress.

Most psychological research indicates that problems that often persist after adolescence and are difficult to eliminate in the long term are those that appear early in a child's life. Therefore, early intervention and prevention of these psychological and behavioral problems are important. Diet can be considered as a complementary factor in preventing these problems, alongside psychological support and behavioral therapy.

The study warned against neglecting the consumption of harmful snacks in the early stages of a child's life in nurseries and schools, under the pretext that the main focus at home is on healthy meals, because frequent consumption of unhealthy foods begins to shape the child's dietary habits later.

* Pediatric consultant

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