The pediatrician talked about ways to improve children's academic performance through nutrition

Correcting the diet and reducing the intake of simple carbohydrates can help improve memory and academic performance in children, especially those who are overweight. This was reported to Izvestia on February 20 by Ekaterina Morozova, senior pediatrician of JSC "Medicine" clinic of Academician Roitberg, Candidate of Medical Sciences.

According to her, with obesity, adipose tissue functions as an active endocrine organ and secretes pro-inflammatory substances. These compounds can affect brain function, as they impair memory and information processing speed. An additional factor is insulin resistance, the doctor added.

"Due to the overload of simple carbohydrates, brain cells stop adequately perceiving insulin (a key hormone not only for sugar, but also for the functioning of neurons). The brain "starves" amid an abundance of calories, which reduces cognitive abilities, especially abstract and logical thinking, necessary for mathematical problems," she said.

Also, overweight children often experience sleep disorders, including episodes of respiratory arrest, which leads to chronic sleep deprivation and decreased learning ability.

Morozova stressed that a change in diet can have a positive effect on academic performance in the first months. She recommended that you include in your diet sources of omega-3 fatty acids, foods with slow carbohydrates, eggs, dairy fats, vegetables and herbs that support the functioning of the nervous system.

"In addition, physical activity reduces the level of cortisol (the stress hormone) and improves insulin sensitivity. Regular, not exhausting, but joyful activities (swimming, dancing, cycling) can improve math performance faster than many night cramming sessions," the expert concluded.

Alarming mass: children end up in hospitals after losing weight on laxatives

Taking such medications disrupts the digestive tract and can lead to heart problems, experts said.

Olga Popkova, a pediatric ophthalmologist at the SM Clinic for Children, said on February 19 that irritability, anxiety, and decreased academic performance may indicate vision problems. In addition, she said that the most common disorders that are diagnosed in children are refractive errors: myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism. There are also violations of the joint work of the eyes and focusing — strabismus and amblyopia (lazy eye syndrome).

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