Thursday 15 March 2007 - 07:46:48 The following information was taken from The Impact of a Low Food Additive and Sucrose Diet on Academic Performance in 803 New York City Public Schools by SJ Schoenthaler, WE Doraz, and JA Wakefield, as published in The International Journal of Biosocial Research, 1986.
In 1986 an experiment was undertaken to test the effects of sugars and synthetic food additives (colors, flavors, preservatives) on school children’s academic performance. Over the course of four years the results of standardized testing in the 803 participating schools were monitored. The results were astounding: the participating public schools saw a 15.7% average increase in academic performance. Prior to the experiment, these same schools had exhibited an average decline of one percent per year. Furthermore, those children who displayed the most improvement were those who were eating the school lunches and breakfasts. Unfortunately, the results of this study have been largely ignored by the government and the FDA, as is demonstrated by the dismal state of school cafeteria programs. Having seen the impact that healthy food can make in school children’s grades, it is important to take this into consideration when preparing your children’s meals.
Food for Thought
