Sugary Snacks Boost Up Concentration Levels In School Kids: Study

Snacks and drinks that are high on sugar help boost up concentration levels in children, a new study concludes. Furthermore, children between the ages five and ten need twice as much glucose for their brains compared to an adult, study reports.

For the study, researchers served 16 volunteers aged between 9 and 10 years a fruit squash containing either artificial sweetener or glucose – the basic form of sugar.

The children were then required to undergo memory tests. The group that consumed glucose scored over 10 percent higher in memory test compared to those who were served fruit drink with artificial sweeteners.

Also, the children spent an additional 11 to 20 minutes on individual tasks in respective classrooms, researchers noted.

However, amid the obesity epidemic Professor David Benton, study’s lead author insisted that schools should not start feeding pupils fizzy drinks between classes. Instead, he proposed regular fruit of muesli bars.

Unveiling other adverse affects of high-sugar diets, Mick Brooks, secretary general at the National Association of Head Teachers, warned, "The worry would be that after a hit of sugar, this energy high would be short lived before dropping off quickly. It might be useful just before doing tests but in lessons it would be better to ensure children had good healthy meals at breakfast and lunch."

Though critics fear the findings may promote junk food, researchers suggest small regular snacks rather than large lunches will help work wonders for kids.

"The message we would like to encourage is that children need to be fed a little and often, but the risk is that they get fed a lot and often leading to problems with obesity," Benton warned.