A Palatinose-based breakfast beneficially influences children’s memory and mood throughout the morning, according to a study by Swansea University, Walesi.
The study highlights that starting the day with the right choice of carbohydrates can help children perform well at school.
The randomised, double-blind, cross-over study was conducted with 75 school children aged 5 to 11 years.
On two occasions, at least one week apart, the children consumed a breakfast including cornflakes, milk, yoghurt, jam and orange juice.
It was identical in calorie count, as well as macronutrient composition and was either prepared with Beneo’s Palatinose or glucose (providing in total 41g of carbohydrate).
The children’s mood and cognitive performance were assessed in test blocks, one and three hours after breakfast.
The results showed that although both groups of children initially did well after breakfast, those eating the Palatinose-breakfast maintained significantly better memory performance later in the morning than those consuming the glucose-breakfast, both in immediate and delayed memory tests.
Moreover, the children who had consumed the Palatinose-breakfast were in a better mood later in the morning, i.e. rating their mood as significantly better, compared to those who had eaten the glucose breakfast.
The study’s findings are in line with previous observations from the same researchers that showed the benefits of Palatinose for enhancing mood and memory amongst middle aged and older adults.
