Ultraprocessed foods might have a negative effect on kids' behaviour and emotions

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-03-04 03:00

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Kids who ate more ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) at age three were more likely to have issues with their behaviour and emotions by age five, say Canadian and Malaysian researchers. The scientists looked into the diets of over 2,000 children and compared the amount of UPFs they ate with a rating system for child behaviour. They found kids who had consumed more UPFs scored worse for behavioural and emotional symptoms than kids who ate UPFs less, and kids who substituted in minimally processed foods had better outcomes with their behaviour and emotions.

News release

From: JAMA

Ultraprocessed Food Consumption and Behavioral Outcomes in Canadian Children

About The Study: In this cohort study of preschoolers in Canada, higher ultraprocessed foods (UPF) intake was associated with adverse behavioral and emotional symptoms by age 5. These findings suggest that replacing UPF with minimally processed foods (MPF) during the preschool years may support healthier behavioral development, with potential benefits for long-term mental health. These findings also support ongoing policy actions that promote MPF and underscore the need for early-life dietary interventions.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Toronto, Canada

Funder: The CHILD Cohort Study was funded by the CIHR and the Allergy, Genes and Environment Network of Centres of Excellence; GENOME CANADA provided core funding for the CHILD Cohort Study. This research was funded by the CIHR Project Grant (funding reference No. 197857) Temerty Faculty of Medicine Pathway Grant. Dr Kavanagh is funded by the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Program through CIHR (funding reference No. 192526).

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