The Journal

Issue date: 3/19/03 Section: Opinion/Editorial

Many college students go on some kind of diet at least once a year, sometimes for health reasons, and often to lose weight. Studying at college can actually make people gain weight. However, not many college students worry about a diet that could help them study better.

According to articles from CNN.com and USA Today, recent studies have found what you eat affects how clearly you think and concentrate, your intelligence level, memory and reaction time. Pizza, hamburgers, fries and fast food are the worst for good study habits since they are high in cholesterol and carbohydrates.

If you are interested in getting the best out of your college education, you'd better watch what you eat, and eat smart foods like soy, vegetables and fruit with a lot of fiber and seafood.

Foods high in cholesterol and carbohydrates affect your concentration or make you lethargic. In addition, they often do not have the vitamins and minerals needed to keep the brain functioning at its best.

Adults need to keep their cholesterol level below 200 mg/dl, and they only need 500-to-600 mg of cholesterol from every meal. For example, you can get enough cholesterol for a day from two eggs. Egg, meat and dairy products have high cholesterol in general. Pizza, hamburgers and chips are also high in cholesterol, carbohydrate and calories. So next time you reach for a snack, ask yourself if you are eating something that will help you study.

The problem is not so much the type of food as it is bad eating habits. Many college students in their freshman year are likely to gain the infamous 15 pounds on average because of their bad eating habits -- ordering pizza, subs and Chinese food for dinner every night and snacking in between. A survey from Southern Illinois University found that 80 percent of incoming freshman gained 15 pounds their first year.

Our cafeteria food does not help. I know most students are too busy to cook their own food and too busy to exercise, but you can avoid gaining weight by watching what you eat. And more importantly, you can be a better student by eating certain foods.

Eating fruits and vegetables help lower cholesterol. Iron and vitamin B also improve your memory and study habits. So eat more iron-rich foods such as extra lean red meat, cooked dried beans and dark green vegetables. Rich vitamin C orange juice is also good to drink with iron-rich food to boost iron absorption. Don't drink too much coffee and tea which can reduce iron. Rich vitamin B such as nonfat milk, bananas and seafood can also increase your concentration, memory level and mental clarity.

So you must change your bad eating habit and eat smart food before big exams and drink orange juice. Eat more vegetables with rich fiber, iron-rich food and rich vitamin B food to improve your intelligence. Try to avoid pizza or "low intelligence" snacks in great quantities or as daily meals.

Smart eating is what makes you smart in the long run and keeps you healthy at the same time.


Miwa Yamada, a sophomore journalism major, is a staff writer forThe Journal.