Food for the Brain Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Food for the Brain Foundation is a non-profit educational campaign
, created by a group of nutritionist
s, doctor
s, psychiatrist
s, psychologist
s, teacher
s and scientist
s to promote the link between nutrition
and mental health
. It is an initiative led by Patrick Holford
, its chief executive.
The foundation has received publicity with its pilot study in a number of British
schools that has attempted to improve children's performance by improving nutrition. The campaign has been both lauded as revealing a massive improvement in pupils' behaviour and performances and criticised as unscientific and encouraging fad diets.
Its mission is to promote the awareness of the link between learning, behaviour, mental health and nutrition. They also seek to provide educational materials to relative bodies.
, London
. This study lasted seven months and had pupils following "a daily regime of taking the long chain fatty acid supplement "eye q", a combination of omega-3 fish oil and omega-6 evening primrose oil, a balanced nutritious diet, a new exercise regime, and a multivitamin." The study "transformed" the behaviour of children at the school, with a 25% drop in psychosomatic problems reported. A similar study, followed by the ITV
current affairs
programme Tonight with Trevor MacDonald, is underway at Chineham Park school Basingstoke
. This has been described as "phenomenally successful", with children's behaviour notably improving.
However, the studies have also been criticised. Catherine Collins of St George's Hospital
in London
stated that a pupil in the Merton study had "suffered sleep problems and her weight dropped as a result of the advice [Mr Holford] gave." The study as been criticised as being unscientific, with results "cherry-picked" and the effects merely a "placebo". Holford and the foundation reject some of these allegations. Holford claims that the pupil in the Merton study has since regained the lost weight, which he puts down to a reduction in her gluten
intake, after tests revealed she was "gluten sensitive". He states that her overall behaviour and health have improved during the study.
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
, created by a group of nutritionist
Nutritionist
A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical...
s, doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s, psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
s, psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
s, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s and scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s to promote the link between nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
and mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
. It is an initiative led by Patrick Holford
Patrick Holford
Patrick Holford is a British nutritionist/nutritional therapist and author. He appears regularly on television and radio in the UK and abroad. He has 34 books in print in 24 languages...
, its chief executive.
The foundation has received publicity with its pilot study in a number of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
schools that has attempted to improve children's performance by improving nutrition. The campaign has been both lauded as revealing a massive improvement in pupils' behaviour and performances and criticised as unscientific and encouraging fad diets.
Its mission is to promote the awareness of the link between learning, behaviour, mental health and nutrition. They also seek to provide educational materials to relative bodies.
Schools campaign
The best known and launching campaign of the Food for the Brain Foundation was a pilot study carried out at Cricket Green special education school in MertonLondon Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. This study lasted seven months and had pupils following "a daily regime of taking the long chain fatty acid supplement "eye q", a combination of omega-3 fish oil and omega-6 evening primrose oil, a balanced nutritious diet, a new exercise regime, and a multivitamin." The study "transformed" the behaviour of children at the school, with a 25% drop in psychosomatic problems reported. A similar study, followed by the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
current affairs
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
programme Tonight with Trevor MacDonald, is underway at Chineham Park school Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
. This has been described as "phenomenally successful", with children's behaviour notably improving.
However, the studies have also been criticised. Catherine Collins of St George's Hospital
St George's Hospital
Founded in 1733, St George’s Hospital is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It shares its main hospital site in Tooting, England with the St George's, University of London which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
stated that a pupil in the Merton study had "suffered sleep problems and her weight dropped as a result of the advice [Mr Holford] gave." The study as been criticised as being unscientific, with results "cherry-picked" and the effects merely a "placebo". Holford and the foundation reject some of these allegations. Holford claims that the pupil in the Merton study has since regained the lost weight, which he puts down to a reduction in her gluten
Gluten
Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye...
intake, after tests revealed she was "gluten sensitive". He states that her overall behaviour and health have improved during the study.