Mothers who followed a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy gave birth to children with better neurological, social and emotional development by age 2 compared to children whose mothers did not follow such a diet.
"Despite previous studies that have shown links between unhealthy lifestyles and poorer child development, no previous study had evaluated whether lifestyle interventions improved neurodevelopment," said study co-author Dr. Francesca Crovetto, a researcher at the Fetal Medicine Research Center in Spain.
"In the second year of life, children's brains receive some of the benefits they received through food when their mothers were pregnant," said Dr. Miguel Martínez-González, a professor of medicine at the University of Navarra in Spain.
"No other dietary pattern has such an impressive body of scientific evidence as the traditional Mediterranean diet," said Martínez-González.
The Mediterranean diet contains simple, plant-based foods and reduces the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression, stronger bones, a healthier heart and a longer life.
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet focuses on vegetables, fruits and whole grains, while limiting consumption of red meat, dairy and processed foods.
This diet is rich in vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy as well as providing antioxidant effects. Among them, fish with omega 3 fatty acids promotes cognitive development in babies.
Source: CNN
