University of Cumbria - Food for thought

Students' attainment could be affected by their diet, research by a lecturer in mental health nursing at the University of Cumbria suggests. Fiona Cassells said there was a clear link between bad nutrition and poor mental performance, and that students could improve their degree results by eating better. She said: "The latest evidence suggests the brain can be developed and changed, and that (it) is continually making new neuronal connections well into early adulthood. This ... makes it even more essential that young people follow a balanced diet, to give themselves the greatest chance of examination success." The type of nutrients most likely to boost brain power are found in fruit and vegetables, oily fish, white meat, nuts and seeds, as well as pasta, starchy vegetables, potatoes, cereals and breads, she said.