<p>Undernourished children showed improvement in brain function after taking nutritional supplements for six months, researchers said Thursday.</p>.<p>The findings have important implications for children's education and national development in low-income countries, they reported in <em>BMJ</em>, a medical journal.</p>.<p>At least 250 million children worldwide under five fail to reach their cognitive-developmental potential, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).</p>.<p>Undernutrition is not the only factor but has been associated with long term brain impairment.</p>.<p>To see whether targeted supplements could make a difference, a team of US researchers conducted trials in Guinea-Bissau that measured working memory (key for studying) and blood flow to the brain (a measure of brain health) in more than 1,000 children at risk of undernutrition.</p>.<p>The children, aged 15 months to seven years, were divided into three groups that received different meals five mornings a week for 23 weeks.</p>.<p>The first group's daily meal contained a new food supplement -- called NEWSUP -- high in antioxidants, other vitamins and minerals, polyphenols from cocoa, omega 3 fatty acids and protein.</p>.<p>The second group had so-called fortified blended food (FBF), long used in nutrition programmes, and the third was a traditional rice breakfast with no supplements.</p>.<p>Besides working memory, the researchers measured red blood cell (haemoglobin) levels, growth, body composition, and cerebral blood flow at the start and shortly before the end of trial.</p>.<p>Among children younger than four, the NEWSUP diet provided a substantial boost to working memory compared with a traditional rice breakfast, the researchers found.</p>.<p>It also increased cerebral blood flow, improved the ratio of lean tissue to fat in the body, and helped haemoglobin concentration in children under four with anaemia.</p>.<p>Among children four and older, however, NEWSUP had no significant effect on working memory or anaemia.</p>.<p>Including only one cognitive measure was a limitation to the study, the researchers acknowledged, as was the short duration.</p>.<p>A trial over four years rather than four months might show similar benefits in older children, they speculated.</p>
<p>Undernourished children showed improvement in brain function after taking nutritional supplements for six months, researchers said Thursday.</p>.<p>The findings have important implications for children's education and national development in low-income countries, they reported in <em>BMJ</em>, a medical journal.</p>.<p>At least 250 million children worldwide under five fail to reach their cognitive-developmental potential, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).</p>.<p>Undernutrition is not the only factor but has been associated with long term brain impairment.</p>.<p>To see whether targeted supplements could make a difference, a team of US researchers conducted trials in Guinea-Bissau that measured working memory (key for studying) and blood flow to the brain (a measure of brain health) in more than 1,000 children at risk of undernutrition.</p>.<p>The children, aged 15 months to seven years, were divided into three groups that received different meals five mornings a week for 23 weeks.</p>.<p>The first group's daily meal contained a new food supplement -- called NEWSUP -- high in antioxidants, other vitamins and minerals, polyphenols from cocoa, omega 3 fatty acids and protein.</p>.<p>The second group had so-called fortified blended food (FBF), long used in nutrition programmes, and the third was a traditional rice breakfast with no supplements.</p>.<p>Besides working memory, the researchers measured red blood cell (haemoglobin) levels, growth, body composition, and cerebral blood flow at the start and shortly before the end of trial.</p>.<p>Among children younger than four, the NEWSUP diet provided a substantial boost to working memory compared with a traditional rice breakfast, the researchers found.</p>.<p>It also increased cerebral blood flow, improved the ratio of lean tissue to fat in the body, and helped haemoglobin concentration in children under four with anaemia.</p>.<p>Among children four and older, however, NEWSUP had no significant effect on working memory or anaemia.</p>.<p>Including only one cognitive measure was a limitation to the study, the researchers acknowledged, as was the short duration.</p>.<p>A trial over four years rather than four months might show similar benefits in older children, they speculated.</p>