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If your son or daughter are about to sit for their exams or need to study for consecutive hours to pass their class and move on, make sure you do not keep sugar and caffeine in the house.

According to a report published by the Washington Post, snacks like a full bowl of ice cream, a hot cup of coffee or a cold soda would make things worse for them, and instead of getting them through a few extra hours of easy study it will make them more tense and unfocused.

The article noted that “they might even be more anxious than before, both chemically from the caffeine and sugar (which are stimulants) and because they are worried about their renewed low energy and lack of focus.”

According to David Ludwig, a professor of pediatrics and nutrition at Harvard University and a researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital, “When we feel stressed, we seek foods that are going to comfort us immediately, but often those foods lead to surges and crashes in hormones and blood sugar that increase our susceptibility to new stresses.”

When it comes to caffeine, a 2010 study in the Journal of Pediatrics conducted a survey in which it said that 75 percent of children who took part in the test and consumed caffeine on a daily basis slept much less. The findings of the test showed that the caffeine impeded the ability of children and their performance the next day, affected their focus in class, ability to retain information, and deal with everyday stress and social pressures.

Instead, the report said children should be fed proteins.

“The foods you eat affect which neurotransmitters will be present in your brain. For instance, eating protein (specifically the amino acid tyrosine, found in salmon, eggs, turkey and red meat) helps the body produce norepinephrine and dopamine, both promoting brain alertness and activity, which are certainly beneficial to a kid studying for exams,” read the report.

According to the Joe Hibbelin of the National Institutes of Health, fatty acids also found in salmon and walnuts for instance make the person’s stress system more flexible, while vitamin D found in avocados and eggs support the nervous system and give lasting energy.

In kids particularly, it does not take too much caffeine to see the symptoms coming. On a similar note, Roberta Anding, Registered Dietitian, director of sports nutrition at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston and member of the Baylor College of Medicine Faculty, said that “There's also some evidence to suggest that if you have a child who already has an anxiety disorder, the effects of caffeine make it worse.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Marcie Schneider, adolescent medicine physician and former member of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on nutrition, said that such a food diet can increase heart rate and blood pressure.

Since children and teenagers do not tend to reach for healthy food alone, especially at times of stress, parents should at least provide a daily meal that contains the fatty acids and vitamins that can enhance their health and increase their ability to concentrate and focus, allowing them to be in good shape to cope with stress.