There are several things that a person does within the first years of life that can have a lasting impact on their brain health as they age, including eating a healthy diet.
A new study suggests that consuming unhealthy foods during childhood can affect how the brain regulates eating in the long term.
Previous research shows there are several things that a person does within the first years of life that can have a lasting impact on their brain health as they age, such as cognitive engagement, avoiding head injuries, developing healthy sleeping habits, being physically active, and eating a healthy diet.
Now, a new study published in the journal Nature Communications adds to what we know about the link between early healthy eating and lifelong brain health, suggesting that consuming unhealthy foods during childhood can affect how the brain regulates eating in the long term.
However, researchers found that interventions targeting the gut microbiome might be able to reverse these negative effects, via a mouse model.
How early life unhealthy eating shapes later life brain health
For this study, researchers examined how unhealthy eating early in life might impact brain health later in life.
“Children today are growing up in food environments where high-fat, high-sugar options are everywhere, at parties, at sports events, and as rewards,” Harriët Schellekens, PhD, BSc, MSc, senior lecturer in the Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience at University College Cork in Ireland, principal investigator with Food for Health Ireland (FHI), group leader with APC Microbiome Ireland and lead principal investigator of this study, told Medical News Today.
“As both a scientist and a parent, I started asking: what are the long-term effects of growing up in that kind of environment?” she said.
“We now know that brain health is influenced by diet and lifestyle from very early in life. Nutrition, movement, sleep, and even the gut microbiota interact with brain circuits that regulate mood, appetite, and cognition. By understanding these pathways, we can identify realistic, preventative strategies that support brain health long before problems emerge,” she explained.
