The old advice of "starting your day with a good breakfast" is not without scientific basis. Breakfast is a very important meal, more so for children with ADHD. The exact cause of ADHD is still very fuzzy, but medical experts in the field believe it to be genetically-linked and that differences in wirings in the brain caused its symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and/or implusivity. While there's not much one can do about the gene in this equation, there's a lot which can be done to help the brain function properly. This article will highlight the importance of breakfast and some nutrients which have been found to be important for proper brain functioning, especially in the context of ADHD people.

Studies done in the United States several years ago found that children who went to school with a virtually empty stomach were more prone to display clinical levels of psychosocial dysfunction compared to their peers who were not hungry. It was observed that the hungry children under study showed a greater number of problems in terms of behaviour, in their studies, and emotions. Many of these children were aggressive and anxious.

In a different study to study the effects of consuming a balanced breakfast, it was found that increased nutrient intake did improve the children's academic and psychosocial functioning. The students who were fed with proper nutrients showed marked improvements in terms of attendance, less feelings of hunger, and improvement in many subjects, notably mathematics.

Its no wonder than that we often hear medical personnel expounding the virtues of a balanced breakfast/diet, more so for ADHD kids as it can help improve their learning and behavioural problems. It should be noted that consuming a balanced breakfast/diet will also serve to minimise the chances of children contracting other illnesses such as diabetes and heart ailments.

So the question now is - which nutrients are deemed important for overall intellectual and behavioural development? Protein is one of them. It is well documented that a protein deficiency can have a significant effect on a student's cogntion, intelligence, and behaviour. A study found that children who received proper amounts of protein-caloric beverage often consistently outperformed their undernourished peers in virtually all aspects of their lives later in life.

Besides protein, there's also iron. The existing finding is that being deficient in iron can severely affect a kid's learning and behaviour. Although the US is a developed country, iron deficiency is very significant among its children. Parents should give serious attention to this although mild iron deficiency in infancy and childhood can be solved by taking iron supplementation. But if the iron deficiency problem is considered "moderate or severe", iron supplementation may not work any longer. The end result - permanent neurological damage.

Adolescent females are particular prone to iron deficiency. This is not surprising because of a spike in iron demands during puberty and through menstrual losses. A simple illlustration of the significance of iron in terms of attention, learning and memory can be seen during the school years. Studies have shown that during elementary and middle school years, girls are tops when it comes to maths. But when puberty sets in and iron level dropped during high school and college days, maths scores also drop, thus giving the impression that boys suddenly are masters of mathematics.

In conclusion, be careful about your kids' nutritional requirements, especially if they have ADHD. By giving them a proper diet, especially starting the day with a balanced breakfast, it will go a long way in improving their learning and behaviour in numerous ways.