Nutrition and Kids: Impact on Academic Performance - Research Paper Example

Nutrition and Kids: Impact on Academic Performance Nutrition is essential or the growth of the human body, nutrition can be referred as the process of breaking food material to built cells for the survival of the organism. This document researches effects of nutrition on the academic performance of children through analyzing multiple journal articles. Researches show that the healthy and balance diet is essential for the growth and improve brain capacity that influence academic performance of the children. On the other hand, researches illustrates that the poor diet, unhealthy. Nutrition and Kids: Impact on Academic Performance Introduction The main focus of this paper is to research relationship of diet and academic performance of the children. Research and studies illustrates that food intake and food insufficiency affects cognitive functioning of children. The literature highlights the relevance between dietary intake and academic performance. The studies and research illustrate that the food intake immensely affect cognitive performance of the children. It has also been illustrated that the direct access of the food causes adverse affect on the child’s academic performance. The literature shows that the dietary component, such as balance nutrient in the diet has a direct effect on the cognitive capabilities therefore, the choice of right nutrient food is essential to improve academic performance. Scholars and nutritionists classify food in two broad categories, that is, ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ food. The classification is based on the basis of its nutritional values and the chemical role to develop cognitive capabilities. In addition, studies have associated nutritional and academic performance with the socioeconomic status prevailing in the global society. The study illustrates the student test score tools such as Grade Point Average to determine the cognitive abilities, whereas some of the researches have used governmental data such as NHANES to determine the cognitive abilities (Brown, 2002). According to the study of Woods highlights that the effective functioning of the brain is associated with the transmission of certain chemical that are present in different food (Wood, 2001). The studies elaborate that the decreased amount of zinc in the diet slows down the recalling ability of the brain. In addition the low iron level in children has been linked with the slow recalling capabilities. Erikson in her studies illustrates that the five main components of the food such as, Protein found in meat, milk, cheese and grain are one of the essential component to built neurotransmitters in the human body (Halterman, Kaczorowski, Aligne, & Auinger, 2001). The finding of the Erikson study explains that the lack of the protein in the body leads to malnutrition that adverse affects recalling and cognitive capabilities, as a result poor academic performance among children (Erikson, 2006). The article further explains the significance of carbohydrates, a key element to breakdown the compounds into glucose through which the brain gets the energy to perform its activity effectively (Alamio, Olson, frongillo, & Breifel, 2001). According to the study of Erikson, explains that the significance of fat to keep the brain nourished, increase the memory, stave depression and increase serotonin to sustain the feeling of pleasure. The research explains that about 60 percent of the brain is composed of fat that regulates the immune system. In addition, for healthy growth and functioning of human body certain vitamins and minerals are essential. Effects of Diet and Iron deficiency Various studies have found that the poor nutritious diet is considered to result in unhealthy children’s cognitive processing which eventually affects the academic performance. Zhang in his study illustrates that the diet of the American is high in fat, saturated fats ad cholesterol (Zhang, Berbet, & Muldoon, 2005). The survey identified the fat intake and the psychological functioning. According to results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey depicts that the consumption of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids decrease academic performance of children, whereas the high cholesterol level increased poor performance. Another study of Wood (2001) shows that the low level of iron in children has direct impacts on the abilities of children to pay attention to the information (Wood, 2001). In addition, the study of Halterman et al. (2001) highlights that the affects of anemia on the cognitive capabilities. Children that diagnose anemia and low level of iron play a vital role in the development of the cognitive capabilities (Halterman, Kaczorowski, Aligne, & Auinger, 2001). In order to study the impact of low iron level among children the study uses the NHANES data, to study children age between 6 to 16 years suffering iron deficiency with anemia and iron deficiency without anemia. The screening indicates that about 3 percent of 5,398 children were found iron deficient. That indicates that about 1.2 million children suffer from low iron level. The limitation of a study by Zhang, Berbet, & Muldoon (2005) is that the NHANES and cross sectional survey does not identify the relationship between iron deficiency and cognitive capabilities; it only provides hypothetical relationship (Zhang, Berbet, & Muldoon, 2005). In addition, the small portion of the survey does not provide a complete overview about the relationship between anemia and cognitive capabilities. The study reflects that about 71 percent of children suffering from iron deficiency scored below average in mathematic, whereas only 49 percent of children did well due to regular iron level (Zhang, Berbet, & Muldoon, 2005). The effect of the poor diet and nutrition values and its impact on the academic performance of children can be determined by the above studies. As the low iron levels in the children’s diet affect the balance nutrition values in the children. These children usually have a higher intake of junk foods that have low nutrition values also now as ‘food insecurity’. The significance of nutrients among the children plays a significant role to develop cognitive abilities. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the diet intake of children have the essential minerals, vitamins and components for effective brain functioning. In addition, the quality and quantity of food shall be balanced. According to the study of Halterman et al. (2001), the excessive intake of food may affect adversely cognitive abilities of children; this is because of the reason that the excessive food intake among the children leads to obesity and overweight (Halterman, Kaczorowski, Aligne, & Auinger, 2001). On the contrary, the intake of less nutrient food may also lead to obesity because it decreases the nutrition values in the diet of children. Food Insecurity In order to investigate the long-term affect of the food insecurity on the cognitive capabilities of children Zhang uses the cross sectional survey. The study assesses weight, height and Body Mass Index of children of Kindergarten and 3rd grade. Moreover the research assessed the food insufficiency determining the quality and quantity of food given to the ids for a period of 12 months (Zhang, Berbet, & Muldoon, 2005). In addition, the study aims to understand the impacts therefore, the use of various assessment tools and reading skill were calculated using Item Response Theory (IRT) to measure academic performance. The finding of the study indicates that the children belonging from the food insufficient shows a slower pace of reading and mathematic performance, whereas the children from the more food showed greater results with a greater increase in the Body Mass Index over the period of three years. The research further provides a hypothesis to determine the association between the food insufficiency and the academic performance in the children. It also indicates that the children from the low-income family affect the quality of food intake of children; as a result the poor diet intake of these children (Zhang, Berbet, & Muldoon, 2005). The quality of food, highly affect the level of nutrition that are being consumed by these children due which the nourishment that shall be obtained through food suppresses. This influences the level of micronutrients that are essential for the functioning of the brain. The study also highlights the food intake from the different families show variation in the academic performance of children. The study highlights that the diet intake of these children is low in the nutritional values that may create depression, decrease cognitive and learning memory of children. According to the study by Alamio, Olson, frongillo, & Breifel(2001) the relationship between food insecurity, insufficiency, poor academic performance and socioeconomic status of groups (Alamio, Olson, frongillo, & Breifel, 2001). The study illustrates that insufficient children miss the school and repeat grade. The study also provides information about the relationship between the food insufficiency and its impacts on the biological and psychological effects on children. Among these were reduce food intake, nutrition deficiency, anxiety, deprivation and worry. The outcome of the study elaborates that the children coming from low income families are inhabitant with a nutritious diet, further these children have less health care attention due to lack of affordability of health care because of the reason the children are not able to identify the deficiency and malnutrition among these children. Consequences Brown (2002) analyzes the study of Alamio, Olson, frongillo, & Breifel (2001), he highlights that the study of Alamio, Olson, frongillo, & Breifel (2001) of food insufficiency has impacts on the cognitive capabilities among school age children. Brown finds that the relationship between the food insufficiency and the academic performance of the children has a significant impact (Brown, 2002). The findings of the study allow understanding the nutrient values pertaining among different age group. This indicates that the children from the low income families have poor health which affects diet and health of these children, as a result poor academic performance, iron deficiency, grade repetition and increase in psychological issues, obese and overweight. The study elaborates that the correlation between family income, obesity level and the academic performance of children. As the studies indicates the relationship between the family income and academic performance. The government programs aims to reduce the academic gap between these children by stressing on the proper nutrition values. In order to determine the impacts Kleinman et al. (2002) conducts the study of 97 students to determine the affect of food intake on the academic performance (Kleinman et al, 2002). The study researches Boston Public School and the School Breakfast program to measure academic results of the children, it also considers six months performance of these children before implementing the program. In addition, the study of Kleinman et al. (2002) illustrates that the study researches the absence record of the children and dietary intake to determine academic performance (Kleinman et al, 2002). The results of the study indicates that increase of the nutrient intake highly affect cognitive functioning and decreased absentees in the schools. One of the major outcomes of the study is that it the significance of the breakfast program of the school increase academic performance of school age children. According to he study of Centre on Hunger suggest that the school breakfast program shall be free for all students regardless of the socioeconomic background of these children that shall be considered as an effort to maintain the nutrient intake of children in order to enhance their academic performance. These researches and studies illustrates that the President Truman order to promote National School Lunch Program focuses health of American children. The main objective of the program was to push the consumption of American grown agricultural commodities. In addition, it aims to provide nutrition value for the American children. The schools were compelled to provide to follow the guidelines of the National Nutrition Standards in order to qualify for the federal subsidiaries to reduce the price of breakfast and lunch in the school. The National Nutrition Standards indicates that the one third of the RDA should be composed of vitamin A, C, Iron, calcium and calories. The calories shall not have more than 30 percent of fat and less than 10 percent of the saturated fat (Wood, 2001). The regulations highlight the significance of the nutrient food for children and cogitative abilities. It allows understanding the sting correlation between nutrition and cognitive capabilities of the children. It further highlights the requirement of the nutrition values that are essential for children that are mandatory for qualifying the subsidies. Therefore, the Food Research and Action Centre (2001), illustrates that the providing breakfast and lunch for the studies is significant without considering the socioeconomic conditions of the children (Alamio, Olson, frongillo, & Breifel, 2001). The outcomes of the program enhance academic performance of the children. Conclusion Analyzing the journal article it can be determined that the intake of food plays a significant role in the nutritional values of children. The study show that the dietary intake of the children has immensely affects on the academic performance of the children. In addition, it highlights children from the low-income families and different socioeconomic status has showed different results in the academic performance. This is because of the reason that the low income families are inhabitant to healthy and to afford health care facilities to identify the deficiency of nutrient in the children. The studies have found a correlation between the socioeconomic status and nutrient values among the children that affect their cognitive abilities. Analyzing the studies, it can be determined that the food nutrients and choice of the right and balanced diet is essential for affective brain functioning. The combination of the micronutrient elements present in food is the significant phenomena that shall be considered. In order to, provide essential supply of minerals and vitamins. The study also provides information about the various combinations of the vitamin and mineral required for the proper functioning of brain, memory and cognitive abilities. References List Alamio, K., Olson, C., frongillo, E., & Breifel, R. (2001). Food Insufficiency, family income, and health in US pre-school aged children. Public Health , 781-786. Brown, L. (2002). The consequences of hunger and food insecurity for children: Evidence from recent scientific studies. Center on Hunger and Poverty , 20-46. Erikson, J. (2006). Brain food: the real dish on nutrition and brain function. WisKids Journal , 34-74. Halterman, J., Kaczorowski, J., Aligne, C., & Auinger, P. (2001). Iron deficiency and cognitive achievement among school-aged children and adolescents in the United States. PEDIATRICS, 107 (6), 1381-1386. Kleinman, R., Hall, S., Green, H., Korzec-Ramirez, D., & Patton, K. (2002). Niet Breakfast and academic performance in children. Ann Nutr Metab , 24-30. Wood, H. (2001). Studies probe role of minerals in brain function. Agricultural Research , 4-5. Zhang, J., Berbet, J., & Muldoon, M. (2005). Dietary fat intake associated with Psychosocial and Cogitive functioning of school-aged children in United States. Journal of Health Care , 1967-1973. Read More