It’s hard to tell how a food that you eat directly effects you because we can’t see the chain of events going on inside of our bodies. Maybe you’ve experienced the difference for yourself when you switched from eating junk to a clean diet of vegetables, fruits, and lean meat. Everyone talks about how good food can effect how your body looks and feels, but what about your actions? A British TV show called The Food Hospital did a study on one of their episodes. It did a great job representing how the food that kids eat can effect their behavior.
In this study there were two groups between the ages of 5-9. They split up the two groups and brought them both into a “party” atmosphere. First they were served a bunch of food.
One group was fed healthy foods like apples, carrots, hummus, and sandwiches. They were only given water to drink.
The other group was brought to a table with “traditional” party foods like cakes, candy, chips, and soda to drink.
After the feast the kids played various games as they were observed. The games were specifically chosen to make them think, remember stuff, and use hand-eye coordination.
As they played their behavior was monitored and recorded. The scientists recorded instanced of mean behavior, physical aggression, and hyperactive behavior.
When it was all said and done, the kids who were fed the good food only had 120 negative behaviors recorded, while the junk food group had 720!
After a while the kids’ parents came in to observe them as well. They could immediately tell which group had the junk food and which ones had the fruits and vegetables. The junk food group was acting really lethargic and lazy. They were just sitting around unexcited while the other group of kids were very active.
While playing the games, the kids who ate the junk food also had trouble following directions, remembering stuff, and playing the games as proficiently.
It’s unclear what exactly is in the food that made the kids act so differently. If I had to take a guess it would be that the processed junk food had combo of high sugar and additives, and a low amount of actual nutrition.
If kids’ behavior are this significantly effected by the food that they eat, we can probably safely say that it takes a toll on us even as we age. Adults may have more self control than children, but it can still have those same effects on our mentality.
I hope you enjoyed this article and take a few seconds to share it on facebook. Now go check out the Top 10 Food Additives To Stay Away From.
About Adam Pegg
