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Relationship between Nutrition, Brain, Cognition, Learning, and Behavior in School Age Children: Systematic Evidence
Diandra Brkić1, Cristina Concetti, Noëla Rémond-Derbez
1Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Lausanne, Vaud 1000, Switzerland.
Nutrition Reviews
|January 14, 2026
Summary
Nutrition significantly supports school-aged children's neurocognitive development. Diet quality and specific nutrients like lipids show promising effects on brain function, cognition, and learning.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition and Neurodevelopment
- Childhood Cognitive Science
- Nutritional Neuroscience
Background:
- Nutrition is crucial for child growth and development.
- Limited understanding exists on nutrition's long-term impact on brain function, cognition, behavior, and learning in school-aged children.
- PROSPERO registration No. 580224.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review evidence on how nutrition influences brain structure, function, cognition, behavior, and learning in children aged 5-18 years.
- To address the knowledge gap regarding nutrition's role in neurocognitive development during school age.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of MEDLINE (PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar) for nutrition-based intervention studies.
- Inclusion criteria focused on studies published after January 2010, examining effects on brain, cognition, behavior, and learning in children aged 5-18.
- 76 out of 977 identified studies were included after systematic analysis and quality assessment.
Main Results:
- Nutrition plays a significant role in supporting neurocognitive development in school-aged children.
- Diet quality (e.g., Mediterranean, Nordic) and specific nutrient intake (e.g., lipids) show promising positive effects.
- Limited studies specifically examine brain-related benefits, and study diversity hinders strong conclusions on causative mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Nutrition is vital for enhancing neurocognitive development during school age.
- Dietary patterns and specific nutrients are associated with positive outcomes, but more research is needed.
- Further research is required to elucidate causative mechanisms and optimal nutritional interventions for children's brain health.
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