From The University of Pennsylvania, “In preschoolers, proper nutrition positively affects social development, researchers have discovered. For this study, the scientists analyzed a sample of 1,795 3-year-old children from Mauritius, an island off the eastern coast of Africa with a population of about 1.3 million people. They focused on four aspects of physical health related to nutrition and four indicators of social development.”

For this study, the scientists analyzed a sample of 1,795 3-year-old children from Mauritius, an island off the eastern coast of Africa with a population of about 1.3 million people. They focused on four aspects of physical health related to nutrition and four indicators of social development.

Social interactions studied included friendliness, extent of verbalization, active social play and exploratory behavior. A research assistant observed every child’s success and rated these factors on a specified scale. The observer knew that the research concentrated on child development and behavior but was unaware of the nutrition-related hypothesis.

“The bigger message is give children good nutrition early on,” Liu said. “Not only will it enhance cognitive function but, importantly, promote good social behavior,” which is essential to brain development and intelligence.

“In the same study,” Raine said, “we’ve shown that children with positive social behavior, eight years later, they have higher IQs.”

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University of Pennsylvania. “Good nutrition positively affects social development, research shows.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 May 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160510160320.htm>.