Published in Advances in Nutrition, the study brings together findings from 73 studies to examine how diet affects cognitive performance and academic outcomes in young people aged 8 to 19.

Supported by the IAFNS Cognitive Health Committee, the review found that unhealthy dietary patterns in the early years of life, particularly in infancy, may have lasting consequences for intelligence in adolescence.

The researchers assessed long-term evidence on a wide range of nutrients and dietary components, including iron, iodine, choline, vitamin D, polyphenols, fatty acids, grains and multi-nutrient interventions.

Findings across the literature can appear inconsistent; the authors argue the impact of nutrition depends on several factors, including the timing of dietary exposure during development, the characteristics of the population studied, the duration and type of intervention and the particular cognitive abilities being measured.