Food for thought: Eat your way to improved concentration while studying

As we move from life under lockdown to our new Level 4 normal, online learning is being implemented at universities across South Africa.

Yet, retaining focus during webinars and Zoom lectures might not come easy to all students. Luckily research shows that you might be able to eat your way to improved concentration.

Most important meal of the day

Scientists suggest that when it comes to concentration, breakfast might indeed be the most important meal of the day. A 2016 South African study found that learners who ate breakfast, not only felt more energised and healthy, but their academic performance improved after a few weeks.

Even the principals and teachers who partook in the experiment, noted that these learners had improved focus and were able to concentrate for much longer.

So if you’re looking for a fast way to focus, you might not want to skip breakfast.

Ditch the junk food

While there’s nothing better than snacking your way through television series — yes, we’re still watching, Netflix — research shows that the trans-fats contained in sweets, chips and snack foods, might be making it harder for you to concentrate.

In the long run, these foods may lead to more fat in your arteries which can block oxygen from flowing to your heart, muscles and brain and might lead to diminished focus. They might also cause a deficiency in omega 3 and 6 which are vital for brain functioning.

Ultimate brain food

Finally, if you want to improve your focus, make sure to include foods that are rich in the ultimate brain food –omega-3 — in your diet. Studies have also shown that micro-nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamins A, B12 and C are also effective in improving concentration.

Foods that are rich in these nutrients include milk products, leafy vegetables, such as spinach, nuts, and red, green or yellow peppers. After including these nutrients in their diets for six months, students in Australia received higher scores on tests measuring verbal intelligence, learning and memory.

So if you find yourself dozing off in your next online lecture or you simply can’t seem to sit still for the duration of your class, remember these tips to fuel yourself through the next semester.

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