Background: Dairy consumption may influence cognitive performance through its macronutrient composition and subsequent release of bioactive components during digestion. Objective: To evaluate the effect of dairy form on cognitive performance, glycemic response, and subjective emotions in children. Methods: A repeated measures randomized controlled trial was conducted with 54 children (31 girls and 23 boys; age: 12.0 ± 0.2 y) who completed 5 experimental visits. Upon arrival at the laboratory, consumption of a standardized breakfast, and collection of baseline measures, children consumed an isocaloric (180 kcal) snack of milk, yogurt, cheese, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) or snack skipping. Cognitive performance, glycemic response, and subjective emotions were measured over 120 minutes. Results: Corsi Block Tapping Test (CBTT) (forward) (p = 0.007) was higher after milk compared to yogurt, cheese, SSB and snack skipping. CBTT (backward) (p = 0.001) was higher after milk and yogurt compared to snack skipping. Immediate word recall (p = 0.003) was higher after SSB compared to yogurt but did not differ from other treatments. Blood glucose (p < 0.001) (mmol/L) was lower after milk, cheese, yogurt, and snack skipping compared to SSB. Subjective average emotions (p < 0.001) were higher after milk, yogurt, cheese and SSB compared to snack skipping. Conclusions: Both milk and yogurt affected short-term cognitive performance in children, and the mechanism was explained, in part, by changes in glycemic response. Future studies are needed to explore the long-term effect of dairy form on cognitive performance and the role of the gut-brain axis and varying nutrient compositions.
Wurtele et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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