Anna Maria Terschlüsen, Katrin Müller, Mathilde Kersting, Dortmund; Kerstin Williger, Mönchengladbach

Nutritional effects on cognitive functions in children have concentrated on the effects of having breakfast, or having no breakfast.

Most studies have found that breakfast has beneficial effects. It seems probably that food and energy intake enhance performance. Carbohydrates consumed as glucose, e.g. as a snack, and the carbohydrate quality of meals – expressed as a low glycaemic index – have a positive impact on cognitive parameters. Multiple supplementation of micronutrients has beneficial effects and this might be attributable to pre-existing nutrient deficiencies. Although it has been thought that deficient fluid intake might have unfavourable effects on cognitive performance in children, this was not supported in a controlled trial. Future studies should examine the impact on children’s cognitive capacity of nutritionally optimized midday school meals.

Keywords: breakfast, nutrients, glycaemic index, cognition, attention, memory, performance

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