Zinc helps children in classroom
Source Daily Mail  www.dailymail.co.uk

A daily supplement of zinc can boost the classroom performance of 12 and 13-year-old schoolchildren, a study has shown.

Researchers found that youngsters taking zinc developed faster, more accurate memories than those not given the supplement. Their attention span was also improved.

The change was seen after 10 to 12 weeks in children receiving a 20mg dose of zinc five days a week.  

No significant improvements were seen in children given the recommended allowance of 10mg of zinc, or no supplement.

Zinc is a mineral found in a wide range of foods including whole grains, nuts, seeds, red meat, and shellfish.

It is essential for a healthy immune system and helps wounds to heal. Research has shown that it is also vital for the normal growth and sexual development of children.

Despite being present in many foods, zinc is often deficient in today's diets because it can be lost in the milling process and leaches into cooking water.

Many soils have become zinc-depleted due to the widespread use of chemical fertilisers.

In the American study led by Dr James Penland, from Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Centre in North Dakota, 111 girls and 98 boys drank four ounces of specially-prepared fruit juice on each school day for up to 12 weeks.

The juice either contained no zinc, or was laced with 10 or 20mg doses of the supplement.