Patrick Holford is a well-known author, researcher, and advocate for nutrition and mental health. He is also the founder and CEO of the UK charity Food for the Brain, which is focused on improving brain health through better nutrition. Holford has been spreading the word about declining IQ scores since the 1970s and believes that a diet high in fats, essential vitamins, and minerals can improve brain health, as opposed to diets based on complex carbs and sugar.
Holford has highlighted the significant increase in mental health problems, including depression, autism, ADHD, and dementia. He also points out that there has been about a 7% decrease in IQ per generation since the 1970s. He believes that something is seriously wrong and that mental health issues are not being sufficiently addressed.
Food for the Brain is using at-home blood spot tests and digital cognitive health questionnaires to analyze the nutrition and cognition status of thousands of participants. The charity then provides nutrition advice and uses this information to build a databank in support of its cause, with the goal of catalyzing a widespread shift in perceptions around mental and cognitive health. For more details, you can listen to a podcast with NutraIngredients Europe Editor Nikki Hancocks.