Food, but also physical activity and contact with nature. In the development of a child’s intelligence, the environment and behavior play a more important role than genetics
Define intelligence and how to measure it
Intelligence is a complex set of mental and emotional abilities that includes many skills such as thinking, planning, problem solving, abstract reasoning, language use and learning. Its scale is complex. We often rely on intelligence or IQ, a score obtained from one of the standard tests designed to measure or measure intelligence according to a person’s age.
Genetics plays a role, as studies on identical twins have shown. However, IQ is not fixed, it can be “learned” under the influence of other factors. Many factors can come into play, starting with diet.
The role of nutrition
Food plays an important role in children’s intellectual development and brain function. This is especially true when we talk about children. Food contains substances that play an important role in cell growth, neurotransmitter and hormone metabolism, and are important components of the brain’s enzyme system. From the earliest stages of a child’s life, food plays an important role. There are many studies examining the relationship between breastfeeding and cognitive development.
breastfeeding
In fact, an analysis of 20 scientific studies on the subject showed that breastfeeding increases the average IQ by 3.16 points compared to their peers. The impact of nutrition on a child’s physical and mental development is reflected in the day, influenced by the quality and quantity of nutrients.
The school and preschool years are a special time because the formation of a child’s diet, their growth and development can affect their ability to learn and succeed in later life. The correlation between the IQ of 8-year-old children and their eating patterns and behaviors suggests that healthy eating from childhood may be associated with higher IQ scores in later children. That is, children who started eating foods high in fat and sugar from age 3 had lower IQs than those who ate a healthy diet of salad, fruit trees, rice, pasta, and fish.
It is important to learn about food from an early age because children’s eating habits and behaviors will affect their health in later life. First, it is not just about food, but about pleasure, that is, eating with family and away from screens: research shows that this may provide some protection against obesity and the huge increase in obesity in children. On the other hand, as a child’s eating habits increase, so does their desire to eat. Equally important is the choice of snacks, limiting heavy and high-fat, sweet and salty snacks. Studies show that eating five meals a day from the age of 12 can reduce hunger and reduce the risk of obesity. That is, 3 main meals (for example, lunch and dinner) and 2 snacks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Ghazi’s study provides another reason not to skip important meals, including breakfast: Children who skip breakfast have an IQ that is 7.4 times lower than children who regularly eat breakfast before school.
the importance of exercise
The diet also includes physical activity. The benefits of physical activity for mental health and development are well documented: Sports and movement are one of the best ways to expand your brain capacity, intelligence and create a good environment for good learning. This action is even more effective when done regularly.
The benefits of physical activity in children include combating sedentary lifestyles and obesity, improving health and preventing chronic diseases. Physical activity also has a positive effect on cognitive performance and IQ.
During moderate-intensity physical activity, many organs of the body are activated, including increased blood flow to the brain, thus providing essential nutrients. Or neurotransmitters released after exercise include norepinephrine and its precursor epinephrine (adrenaline A) and serotonin.
Contact information
Finally, let’s not forget the role of nature: scientific studies show that there is a connection between the impact on the natural environment and the knowledge of work on adults and children. In particular, the intellectual development of children and adolescents is seen to be affected by “green spaces” such as parks and gardens, and “blue spaces” such as water, rivers and bodies of water.
The positive effects of these events on children’s experiences can manifest themselves in a variety of ways, including reducing risks (for example, reducing air pollution) and improving road life (including increasing physical strength and social capacity).
