How to protect your child from cognitive problems
Almost all parents feel stressed about child-rearing, according to a national survey sponsored by The Kids Mental Health Foundation. More than a third of the time, it concerns their kids' behavioral issues, and around one quarter of the time, it's related to children's emotional or mental health.
Well, new research offers you an easy way to help your children avoid problems with impulse control, attention and working memory: Stop feeding them ultra-processed foods! According to the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, when infants and kids up to age 6 eat a lot of ultra-processed foods, it damages their brain's neurodevelopment, setting them up for behavior and learning issues later.
And if your child is older than 6 and has such problems, it's not too late to help their mental focus and abilities. A 2025 study in Frontiers in Public Health found that ultra-processed foods cause neurocognitive harm in folks of all ages (that's you too, Mom and Dad) by firing up chronic inflammation and disrupting the gut-brain axis. This causes problems with decision-making, upsets the reward circuit (makes it hard not to overeat bad-for-you foods) and increases the risk of dementia.
So stop shopping for sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meats, packaged sweets and snack foods, frozen entrees or microwavable meals, and fast food -- the six worst ultra-processed foods according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. And for great recipes and good guidance, check out "What to Eat When" and "The What to Eat When Cookbook."
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at drmikerealage@gmail.com.
(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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