NEW YORK (Reuters) -- "Breakfast like a king," is the old saying. And breakfast pays off royally for kids at school, according to new research that found kids who eat just before a big test get higher scores.
"[Test scores] improved noticeably when subjects ate a meal shortly before being tested," say researchers at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, who tracked over 500 adolescent schoolchildren for two weeks, comparing breakfast times with test scores.
They found eating breakfast 30 minutes before taking a test led to a notable improvement in test scores. But the effect seems to wear off with time. Kids who ate breakfast two hours before being tested did not have a similar improvement in test scores.
"These differences may indicate the importance of timing or the possible importance of breakfast content in these processes," wrote the researchers.
The tests given assessed the school children's verbal learning, memory, and visual recall. Researchers found that those who had eaten closer to test time (usually a school-supplied meal), scored higher than both those who had breakfast eaten much earlier and those who had had no breakfast.
The typical breakfast eaten by the Israeli schoolchildren consisted of a glass of chocolate milk with a few biscuits, or a bowl of cornflakes with milk.
Registered dietitian Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., speaking on behalf of the American Dietetic Association, wasn't surprised by the results. "We're starting to have a better understanding on how meals can affect our performance," she said.
Rosenbloom says the key in the test score results is glucose, or sugar, in the bloodstream. "Blood sugar is the preferred nutrient of the brain for fuel. So without a good dose of sugar in your brain, you won't perform well. In kids, this translates into lack of attention, irritability, not being able to pay attention," she explained.
But she warns against just eating a snack later in lieu of a good breakfast at home. "Remember, overnight you've been fasting and so you need to replenish those energy stores through breakfast," Rosenbloom said.
On the day of a big exam, "I think that what parents might want to do is make sure the kids start off the day with a good breakfast and then send a snack with them to school, but something with a little more nutrient value than a candy bar. Orange juice, a box of raisins, a piece of fruit, all contain simple sugars, these would be good suggestions," commented Rosenbloom.
In fact, another study referred to by the Israeli researchers showed that a glass of orange juice taken in mid-morning "was associated with a notable improvement," in kids' performance.
Rosenbloom says that while the Israeli study showed no test score differences in those who skipped breakfast and those who ate breakfast long before a test, breakfast is still very important for kids. "There's been a lot of research to show that kids who ate breakfast performed better in other kinds of tests like verbal fluency, creativity, problem solving, and they are less likely to be absent."
She confirms that, especially for poorer children, breakfast is essential no matter when it's eaten. "It may not translate into 3 points better on a test score," Rosenbloom explains, "but in the long run it can be very beneficial in terms of strengthening their immune system, and in aiding normal growth and development."
The U.S. School Breakfast Program, implemented in 1966, has recognized these facts and "helped children notably improve their academic functioning," wrote the authors of the Israeli study.
SOURCE: Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine (1996;150:1089-1092)
