Nutritious diet enhances learning in kids
Fruit and vegetable consumption play an important role in children's academic performance – a fact most of us believe as true, and now it's been proven.
A study published in the Journal of School Health has highlighted once again the need for balanced diets at an early age. It also identified specific dietary factors that contribute to the association between children's nutrition and academic performance.
Researchers surveyed 5,000 Canadian grade 5 students. Gathering information on the dietary intake, height and weight of each student, they used a food frequency questionnaire, to calculate each student's intake of foods from recommended food groups, including energy and nutrient intakes. From this they calculated the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-1), a composite measure of diet quality. The DQI-1 was opted because it encompasses adequacy, variety, balance, and moderation as components of diet quality; providing a score for each. eg: fruits, vegetables, grains, dietary fibre, protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin C vs empty calories from saturated fat and salt.
Using multi-level regression methods, the researchers examined the association between indicators of diet quality and academic performance; after students read a variety of materials and were asked to provide written questions based on the texts.
Results showed clearly that students reporting increased diet quality were 41 per cent less likely to fail literacy assessment. In particular, students with an increased fruit and vegetable intake and lower caloric intake of fat were significantly more likely to 'perform' better.
The effects of a healthy breakfast on cognition are already well known. With obesity and diabetes becoming far more abundant in children of Western societies, these finding support the need for effective school nutrition programs. By improving school canteen fare, as well as the type of food available at home, children won't only benefit from a healthier lifestyle via disease prevention and less susceptibility to overweight; their learning can be enhanced.
Julie Seamer, Naturopath
References
- 'Diet Quality and Academic Performance', Journal of School Health, April 2008, Vol 78. No. 4
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