Is intelligence inherited or in the food you eat?

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Well, it's certainly not a dicotomy. No, intelligence is not in the food you eat, just as happiness is not lodged in an ice cream sundae. Some nutrients found in foods are especially important for developing children's mental function, and getting enough during these developing periods is important for proper growth and development. Choline and omega-3 fats have gotten some attention lately for playing a role in mental development. While no set of nutrients is going to make your child a genius, pregnant and recent mothers would be wise to include choline and omega-3s into their young child's balanced diets.

Clearly, both environment and genetics play a role in one's intelligence. If it were only the environment, every parent following a strict enough regimen could create another da Vinci. If it were only genetics, we'd hardly need schools. While academics have spent countless hours debating the nature versus nurture question, the simplest conclusion is that both are involved to some degree. There are probably innumerable subtleties (a genetically "smart" child might gain disproportionately more from a "smart" environment than a genetically "dull" child) but the bottom line is that parents have nothing to lose from nuturing their children as much as possible. Adults should continue to stimulate themselves mentally to slow age-related declines. Stay sharp!

First answer by Tymothy. Last edit by Tymothy. Contributor trust: 822 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 38 [recommend question]