A new study shows that the better children eat, the better their performance in school. Paul J.Veugelers of the University of Albert in Edmonton and his team found that students who eat enough fruits, vegetables, protein, fiber and other healthy dietary elements are more likely to pass the literacy test.

Veugelers said: "Although many people think that a healthy diet is important for school performance, there is little research in this area." In order to study it, they observed 4589 fifth-grade students who participated in "Children's Lifestyle" and "School Performance Research". 857 of them failed the basic reading and writing test. Scientists have found in their research that the better a child's eating habits are, the less likely he or she is to fail the exam. Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, getting less calories from fat, also helps to get better scores.

Veugelers and his team said that most studies on diet and school performance focused on the importance of eating breakfast and the adverse consequences of hunger and malnutrition.

They said: "This study expands the knowledge in this field today by showing the relationship between healthy eating and school performance.