When I was growing up, I remember my father making sure that my four siblings and I got a decent breakfast inside us before leaving the house for school. Like a lot of parents, my dad believed that eating breakfast helped to set little bodies up for the day. A compliant child, I spent my formative years munching my way through Shredded Wheat, Alpen and Ready Brek, convinced that this must be doing me some good.
These days, I'm far less keen to swallow conventional nutritional wisdom without thinking, and recently resolved to discover if there is any real evidence of the benefits for kids of eating breakfast. As it happens, research suggests that a breakfast helps feed the brain and can actually boost a child's learning at school. It appears that taking my father's advice may have turned out to be a smart move after all.
The brain needs fuel to function properly, and gets the bulk of its requirements in this respect from food. The brain's principle fuel is sugar, and maintaining adequate levels in the bloodstream is critical for normal mental function. Many children may go 10 or more hours between their last meal and the next morning. With such a long gap, it is not uncommon for blood-sugar levels to drop to sub-normal levels overnight. This can cause a child to be tired and grumpy in the morning, and can certainly take the edge off even the sharpest of minds.
One important benefit of eating breakfast is that it supplies ready fuel to the brain. A number of studies have found that when children skip the first meal of the day, memory, verbal fluency, and mathematical dexterity may suffer. By restoring blood-sugar levels after the overnight fast, eating breakfast helps ensure that a child has a productive schoolday. However, regular breakfasting might have important long-term benefits as well. Breakfast may also supply important nutrients to a growing body and mind, thereby improving a child's general nutritional status.
To date, there have been three studies that have examined the impact of eating breakfast on children's behaviour and learning. Interestingly, these studies found that children who did not skip breakfast were less likely to skip school. All three studies also found that eating breakfast is associated with better performance in a variety of scholastic tests.
In terms of what to feed a child in the morning, my preference would be porridge or oat-based muesli. A hard-boiled or poached egg with a slice of wholemeal toast is another decent option. In addition, if a child is happy to have a piece or two of fruit, or even some freshly squeezed fruit juice, then so much the better. Getting something healthy into a child early on in the day may well enhance the chances of stuff going in up top, too.
Nutrition news
Every moment of every day, the body generates damaging molecules called free radicals that speed the ageing process and are believed to increase the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer. Free radicals are quenched in the body by molecules known as antioxidants, many of which are found in the diet. Certain foodstuffs, such as fruit and vegetables, are famed for their antioxidant nutrient content.
However, scientists have recently discovered that honey contains antioxidants, too. Though honey is mostly sugar and therefore not something to be taken in great amounts, the fact that it contains antioxidants is one good reason to choose it as a sweetener over pure sugar. Studies show that the deeper the honey's hue, the more disease-protective antioxidants it tends to contain.
Dear John
I am 54 years old and have tinnitus in my left ear. This comes and goes, but it can be very distracting, particularly at night. Can you recommend anything I could try?
Robert Watkins, Sevenoaks, Kent
Tinnitus is the medical term used to describe a sensation of ringing, humming or buzzing in the ears. The condition affects about one in 10 adults in the UK, and can vary in severity. It is believed to be the result of malfunction in the inner ear - the part of the body responsible for both hearing and balance. While the precise cause is not known, it is thought that it can be related to a reduced blood supply to the inner ear.
In one study, individuals who cut down on salt, fatty foods, coffee and tea, and ate more fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds, extra-virgin olive oil and water had fewer inner-ear problems in the long term.
Ginkgo biloba may help to increase blood supply to your inner ear. This herb has a long history of use in treating circulation disorders. One study showed that it produced significant benefits in tinnitus sufferers. Try taking 120-240mg of standardised extract of ginkgo each day.
· If you have any issues you would like Dr John Briffa to address in this column, please contact him by email on john.briffa@ observer.co.uk. Please note that Dr Briffa cannot enter into any personal correspondence.