A study of thousands of children in southwest England has suggested that
feeding children processed foods at a young age lowers their future IQ,
while a diet rich in vitamins could make them more clever. Kate Northstone,
of the University of Bristol, who led the research published in the Journal
of Epidemiology and Community Health, said that a nutritious diet could
produce a "reasonable difference" in IQ scores over time. Even after
adjusting for factors including the mother's education and social class, the
researchers found that a diet heavy in processed food at the age of 3 was
associated with lower IQ five years later.
The Times Feb. 8, 2011