You may believe that children get a buzz of energy when they eat sugary snacks at breakfast, but those poor dietary choices reduce a child's reaction times to that of a senior citizen.

At the level of 70-year-olds
Researchers at Reading University in the United Kingdom found that children ages nine to 16 who consumed soda drinks or chocolate at breakfast performed mental tasks at the level of a 70-year-old, BBC News Online reports.

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Children who ate conventional breakfasts such as cereals or toast performed much better at the mental tasks.

"Everyone's cognitive function declines during the morning but we found that the rate of decline among kids who ate a complex carbohydrate-rich breakfast was only half of that seen among those who ate a simple carbohydrate breakfast," researcher Dr Claire Pincock told the BBC.

Thumbs up for complex carbohydrates
Cereals and toast have more complex carbohydrates, while snacks tend to have more simple carbohydrates. While simple carbohydrates provide an initial energy boost, complex carbohydrates release energy over a longer period of time.

In this study, 30 children were given different foods to eat for breakfast, or were given no breakfast at all. Later that morning, they were assessed four times for attention and memory skills.

The study appears in the journal Appetite. – (HealthDayNews)

Read more:
Diet & Food Zone
Breakfast – the most frequently missed meal

 

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