View source for Food for the Brain Foundation

The '''Food for the Brain Foundation''' is a non-profit [[educational]] [[Advertising campaign|campaign]], claiming to have been created by a group of [[nutritionist]]s, [[Physician|doctor]]s, [[psychiatrist]]s, [[psychologist]]s, [[teacher]]s and [[scientist]]s to promote a purported link between [[nutrition]] and [[mental health]]. It is an initiative led by the author and entrepreneur [[Patrick Holford]].<ref>[http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.asp?id_Content=1604 Who we are] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070128074122/http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.asp?id_Content=1604 |date=2007-01-28 }} Food for the Brain Foundation; 2007; Accessed 05-02-2007</ref>

The foundation has received publicity with its pilot study in a number of [[United Kingdom|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 <ref name="Transformed">Paton, Graeme. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070529092340/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/10/ndiet10.xml "Diet and exercise 'transformed our children'"], [[Daily Telegraph]]; 10/01/2007 ;Accessed 05/02/2007</ref> and criticised as unscientific<ref name="Goldacre">Goldacre, Ben. [https://www.theguardian.com/life/badscience/story/0,,1983925,00.html "Doctored information on celebrity nutritionist"], [[The Guardian]]. Accessed 20/02/2007.</ref> and encouraging fad diets.<ref name="Doctors warn">Goodchilde, Sophie and Owen, Jonathan. [http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/791354/doctors_warn_against_food_fad_dangers__nutrition_experts_massively/index.html "Doctors Warn Against Food Fad Dangers ; Nutrition Experts 'Massively Concerned' Over Unqualified and Unregulated Diet Gurus"], [[Independent on Sunday]]; 07/01/2007; Accessed 05/02/2007 at Redorbit.com</ref>

== 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 [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]], [[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 fatty acid|omega-3]] fish oil and [[Omega-6 fatty acid|omega-6]] evening primrose oil, a balanced nutritious diet, a new exercise regime, and a multivitamin."<ref>[http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=187808 eye q(TM): New Data Reveals School Children Transformed by Unique School Programme] PRNewswire; London; 10-01-2007; Accessed 05-02-2007</ref> The study "transformed" the behaviour of children at the school, with a 25% drop in [[psychosomatic]] problems reported.<ref name="Transformed"/> A similar study, followed by the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] [[current affairs (news format)|current affairs]] programme [[Tonight with Trevor MacDonald]], is underway at [[Chineham Park]] school [[Basingstoke]].<ref name="Mirror">Hoyle, Antonia. [http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/dailynews/tm_headline=exclusive--diet-that-saved-a-school&method=full&objectid=18393946&siteid=94762-name_page.html "Diet That Save A School"], [[Sunday Mirror]]; 05-01-2007; Accessed 20-02-2007</ref> This has been described as "phenomenally successful", with children's behaviour notably improving.<ref name="Mirror"/>

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."<ref name="Doctors warn"/> The study has been criticised as being unscientific, with results "cherry-picked" and the effects merely a "[[placebo]]".<ref name=Goldacre/> 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.<ref>Holford, Patrick. [http://www.patrickholford.com/content.asp?id_Content=1750 "In Response To The Article Titled ‘Doctors Warn Against Food Fad Dangers’"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208044138/http://www.patrickholford.com/content.asp?id_Content=1750 |date=2007-02-08 }}, 2007; Accessed 04-02-2007</ref>

==Universities==

The foundation provides accreditation for catering at some universities.<ref name="Guardian_2009">{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Rachel |title=Fat is a student issue |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/dec/15/obesity-student-health |access-date=10 April 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=15 December 2009}}</ref>

==Notes==
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==Further reading==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070126002716/http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.asp?id_Content=1 Food for the Brain Foundation homepage]

[[Category:Food policy in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Health campaigns]]
[[Category:Health education in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Medical and health organisations based in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Nutrition in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Nutrition organizations]]
[[Category:Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom]]