Research at the University of Illinois has found that children who eat more foods containing a combination of two yellow antioxidant pigments raise their academic potential. The compounds lutein and zeaxanthin are best known for their protective effect against age-related blindness. Top sources of this combination include egg yolks, orange capsicums, sweetcorn, kiwifruit, courgettes, pumpkins and squash, oranges, watercress, kale, okra, romaine lettuce and broccoli.
Don’t be fooled by the green colour in some of these foods – the yellow pigment is just masked and is still potent. The beneficial effect on a child’s brainpower was found to be true, even taking into account IQ and other factors, so it’s worth whizzing up a healthy soup to get this benefit.
Nutritional Neuroscience, 2017
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