Children who eat more ultraprocessed foods may experience measurable changes in brain structure by age six, a study from the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles found.
A 10% increase in consumption of these foods was linked to nearly a 2% reduction in the volume of subcortical brain regions in young children. These areas include the accumbens, amygdala, pallium, putamen, and thalamus, which handle reward processing, emotion, and motivation.
The research tracked 144 Latino and Hispanic mother-child pairs, monitoring diets and brain development. When the children turned six, MRI scans measured brain volume. Those who ate more ultraprocessed foods—such as fast food, frozen meals, baked goods, and processed meats—had smaller subcortical regions than peers with lower intake.
These foods are made for convenience and appeal, often containing high levels of sugar, sodium, and artificial additives while lacking whole ingredients. In the U.S., they account for over half the calories consumed by children between ages one and five.
Michael Goran, the study’s senior author and director of the nutrition and obesity program at the Saban Research Institute, said the results suggest early diet may influence brain development in ways scientists are still uncovering. “What children eat early in life may shape brain development in ways that we are just beginning to understand,” he told TheDoctor.
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Though the study found no significant impact on cognitive function when the children were tested at ages two and six, structural differences were clear. The tests assessed motor skills, language, memory, attention, and the ability to process new information. Goran noted that even without changes in cognitive performance, the brain scans showed measurable differences.
Early childhood is an important time for brain growth, and it’s also when eating habits take shape.
A recent Canadian study found that preschool-age kids who ate a diet high in ultraprocessed foods were more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems a few years later.
Goran suggested parents offer kids whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid ready-to-eat meals, frozen dinners and sweets. Parents can also give kids diluted fruit juice or water and skip sugar-sweetened beverages like sports drinks and sodas.
The study is published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
