Canny Minds Blog

Children who eat porridge for breakfast ‘get better exam results

Posted on 11. May, 2009 by Mark in Articles, Children, General

Feeding children high energy breakfast foods such as porridge at a young age boosts their exams results at school, new research suggests.

Children who followed such a diet before their third birthday had improved scores in reading and problem-solving tests compared to their peers, it was revealed.

In a study that provides some of the strongest links yet between nutrition and academic performance, academics said it also increased the likelihood of remaining in education for longer. It had a particular effect on girls. Research has already shown that food rich in omega 3 such as fish improves reading, writing and spelling among children.

The latest study, based on research using a kind of porridge eaten in Guatemala but made with corn rather than oats, suggests a wider link between food and brain power.

John Maluccio, lead author and assistant professor of economics at Middlebury College, Vermont, said: “Before this study, only limited evidence spanning childhood to adulthood existed to support claims about the long-term effects of early childhood nutrition. “This study confirms that the first three years of life represent a window of opportunity when nutrition programs can have lifelong benefits on a child’s development, particularly in education.”

The study was based on children in Guatemala eating “atole”. It was made with corn, rather than the traditional British oats used in porridge, although they share high protein levels. It was mixed with dry skimmed milk and sugar. Children received supplements between 1969 and 1977, the study, published in the Economic Journal, said.

In 2002 and 2004, researchers returned to Guatemala and collected information on school results. Men and women who received atole as children achieved higher scores on reading comprehension tests and on non-verbal cognitive tests, it was revealed. Women taking part in the study were more likely to remain in education for another year.

The research was conducted in Guatemala by the Institute for Nutrition in Central America and Panama, Emory University, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the University of Pennsylvania and Middlebury College.

John Hoddinott, a co-author and IFPRI senior research fellow, said:

“We have long known that nutrition interventions can provide significant benefits in terms of a child’s health and development.

“This study in Guatemala is important because it shows that improving nutrition in early childhood can have significant educational payoffs into adulthood.”

Jacqui Lowdon, a paediatric dietician from the British Dietetic Association, said the food used in the study would have a similar protien content to normal porridge, but added that poor diet among the children tested may be responsible for the dramatic results.

“We already know that good nutrition is important for long-term health and especially important for brain development in the first few years of life,” she said.

Graeme Paton – The Daily Telegraph: 10th April

Photo courtesy of tobybarnes

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Tags: childhood nutrition, diet, health and development, omega 3, porridge