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Does your child struggle to focus? Here's why blueberries might be the answer
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New research indicates wild blueberries "could strengthen the performance of primary schoolchildren in class," according to Medical Xpress. - photo by Payton Davis
New University of Reading research indicates teachers might want to keep a bowl of blueberries handy in the classroom for when students daydream.

According to Medical Xpress, researchers gave 21 children between the ages of 7 to 10 a drink either containing a high dose of blueberries, a low dose of them or a placebo. A series of cognitive tests examined participants' memory and attention before consumption, at 1 hour, 15 minutes after, and at three hours and six hours after.

The children's performances in the tests suggest "wild blueberries could strengthen the performance of primary schoolchildren in class," Medical Xpress reported.

When students drank the fruit drinks, they did better on the exercises that involved recalling words and ignoring distractions, according to The Telegraph. And children who drank the high-strength berry drink outperformed their peers.

Kit Broihier, Wild Blueberry Association of North America nutrition adviser, told The Telegraph parents should embrace the benefits of blueberries.

"We have long known that wild blueberries have enormous nutritional value, and their consumption has shown benefits in older people," Broihier told The Telegraph. "Now we can see that wild blueberries may also provide cognitive benefits to young people. And it's easy for parents to integrate wild blueberries into their children's diets by simply adding them into a morning smoothie."

According to Daily Mail, the study's findings might help children with ADHD.

Reading University researcher Claire Williams said she wants the research to yield other studies to "see if the fruit speeds up reading development and whether it is of particular benefit to children with ADHD," Daily Mail reported.

The Medical Xpress report indicated Williams and her team are planning to undertake those studies and that blueberries aren't the only consumable to boost concentration.

Orange juice has similar positives, according to Food World News.

Like blueberries, oranges are full of flavonoids, one of the largest nutrient families. Scientists know the nutrient group most "for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits, as well as its contribution of vibrant color to the food we eat," Food World News' article read.

Flavonoids improve brain function by triggering "signaling pathways" in the part of the brain used for learning and storing information, and researcher Daniel Lamport told Food World News a glass each morning could keep students focused at school.

"Eating or drinking flavonoid-rich fruit could be a great morning tonic, helping us to maintain alertness and concentration in the classroom or at work," he said, according to Food World News.
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