Brain food? Eating for success….
Educational libraries are transforming themselves into “learning commons”: centres of thinking and inquiry where students are supported to think widely and deeply across curriculum boundaries about the big questions that life throws up.
That’s the theory in a nutshell.
There is a considerable body of evidence that some foods can help our thinking processes.So should food consumption be allowed in the library? It’s a question that is being asked more and more frequently. A quick Google search will quickly reveal the question can evoke some pretty strong responses, from the traditional
“No, certainly not”
to
“Why not, if it will help me to succeed in my studies?”
For example, foods such as salmon, walnuts and kiwi fruit contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which provide many benefits to brain function, including improving learning and memory. Children who have increased amounts of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to perform better in school in reading and spelling and have fewer behavioural problems. Omega-3 is better from food than capsule supplements.
Studying How Food Affects the Brain
Examples of some other suggested “brain foods”:
Oatmeal, whole-grain breads and cereals, brown rice, barley and popcorn boost the blood flow to the brain.
Egg yolk is rich in choline which improves memory.
Red meats and liver are rich sources of dietary iron which is essential for supplying the brain the oxygen it needs to continue normal activity.
Green and leafy vegetables help memory function.
Soy products help brain development and prevent memory loss.
Chocolate has been shown to improve verbal and visual memory.
Tea, especially green tea is widely accepted to support brain function.
It is a small next step to argue that students should be allowed to eat such foods while they are studying to assist their learning. James Trelease and Steven Krashan have commented on the value of eating and reading in the school library.
Against
“It’s just not done!” “That crunching/fishy/eggy odour coming from next to me might help my neighbour to think but it certainly does not help me!” "Leaves a mess behind"
…and so on
Food for thought…. an interesting inquiry topic maybe? What do you think?
References
(Trelease, J & Krashen, S. (1996) Eating and reading in the school library. Emergency Librarian, 2 3(2), p27)
Glynis