Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 17, 2026
Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil
Published on: July 29, 2020
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.
Context:
Nutrition plays a fundamental role in the growth and healthy upbringing of children. While substantial evidence highlights the significance of nutrition during early life, the understanding of its impact on brain development and function, cognition, behavior, and learning throughout childhood and beyond is limited.
Objective:
In this systematic review we addressed this knowledge gap by assessing the existing evidence on how nutrition influences brain structure and function, cognitive abilities, behavior, and learning skills in school-aged children (ages 5-18 years).
Data Sources:
A systematic search of MEDLINE (via PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar) for published and clinical nutrition-based intervention studies was performed with the focus on effects significantly improving brain, cognition, behavior, and learning in children 5-18 years old for relevant studies published after January 2010.
Data Extraction:
A total of 977 studies were identified, out of which 76 studies fit the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic analysis.
Data Analysis:
Included studies were systematically assessed to provide a comprehensive overview of the relationship between nutritional intake and its impact on brain structure and function, cognition, behavior, and learning skills. In addition, for intervention studies, quality assessment was performed.
Conclusions:
Findings suggest that, despite the limited number of studies specifically examining brain-related benefits, nutrition plays a significant role in enhancing and supporting typical neurocognitive development during school age. Current results indicate that diet quality (eg, Mediterranean and Nordic) and the intake of specific nutrients, such as lipids, seem to have the most promising impact and are associated with positive effects. However studies' diversity (ie, intervention versus observational) and methodologies employed, limits drawing strong conclusions regarding the most effective nutritional interventions and their underlying causative mechanisms. In sum, this work provides a systematic summary of the available evidence, by identifying common findings across multiple studies, and suggesting avenues for future research in this important, yet underexplored, area.
Systematic Review Registration:
PROSPERO registration No. 580224.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Information Processing Approach
01:29Environmental Influences on Intelligence
01:30Biological Influences on Intelligence
01:27Parentral Nutrition: Centeral and Peripheral Parental Nutrition
PN can be administered through two primary routes:
1. Central Parenteral Nutrition (CPN):
CPN involves delivering a high concentration of nutrients through a large vein. This is typically achieved using a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) or,...
01:21Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
01:30Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....