Milk and yogurt may help kids focus and boost memory, TMU study finds

Toronto, ON — New research from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) suggests that consuming milk and yogurt as a mid-morning snack may improve aspects of cognitive performance in children.

The finding was particularly strong in spatial working memory, a key skill linked to learning and focus. The findings were published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (external link) . 

The research team, led by professor Nick Bellissimo, director of TMU’s Nutrition Discovery Labs in the School of Nutrition, found that children aged 9 to 14 performed better on memory tasks after consuming milk or yogurt compared to cheese, a sugar-sweetened beverage or no snack. 

The findings suggest that small practical changes, like including milk or yogurt as a mid-morning snack, could support children’s focus during the school day. 

They also reinforce a simple but important idea: what children eat during the school day may influence how well they learn.

"This study was about moving beyond the provision of energy to examine functional outcomes related to diet quality,” said Bellissimo. “It’s looking at the quality of those calories and what impact that can have.” 

Results could help parents, schools

Given growing concerns about children’s focus, attention and classroom engagement, the study offers timely insight for:

• Parents and caregivers packing lunches
• Schools and school food programs
• Dietitians and health professionals

With the study designed to reflect a typical school day, the research narrows in on the often-overlooked mid-morning recess snack, a key period that may influence whether children stay energized and attentive or experience a mid-morning crash.

Most notable effects

Researchers assessed five areas of cognitive performance, including spatial working memory, short-term memory, sustained attention, selective attention and executive function.

The most notable effects were seen in spatial working memory, which refers to the brain's ability to temporarily hold and use information critical for learning.

Among the findings, the most significant are:

• Milk performed best overall, improving recall accuracy
• Yogurt also improved performance, particularly compared to no snack
• Cheese did not show the same benefit
• Spatial working memory was primarily affected
• Sugar-sweetened beverages underperformed compared to milk and yogurt

Isolating dairy’s impact

While previous research has examined the role of breakfast on cognition in kids, many of those studies focused on cereal and milk together, making it difficult to isolate the potential effect of one or the other.

This study is among the first to isolate dairy’s effects in children, compare milk, yogurt, and cheese head-to-head, and examine multiple cognitive domains in a controlled setting.

How the study worked

As part of the study, participants followed a realistic school-day structure. They ate breakfast, two hours later consumed a mid-morning snack and then completed cognitive testing, such as measuring their ability to recall a list of words, over a 120-minute period.

Conditions for the mid-morning snack included milk, yogurt, cheese, a sugar-sweetened beverage, and no snack. Testing occurred before and after consumption, with repeated measurements over time.

The study ran from December 2022 to October 2023 and included multiple lab visits per participant.

Why it’s important

The research contributes to growing interest in the gut-brain connection and how digestion and food components may influence brain function.

Researchers believe the effects may be linked to how dairy is digested and how it influences the release of hormones associated with both satiety and cognitive processes.

They also say some results suggest potential differences in how boys and girls respond, noting more research would be needed to learn more.

They also caution that it’s unclear how the results translate into outcomes like academic performance.

Bellissimo and his team say future research is also needed to explore:

• Whether plant-based dairy alternatives, such as almond milk, offer similar benefits
• The potential benefits of other dairy forms, such as full-fat dairy, and flavoured milks including chocolate milk
• The biological mechanisms behind the effects, such as gut hormones
• How different nutrient profiles, such as protein and fat, influence cognition
   

About Toronto Metropolitan University

A world-class research institution and Canada’s leader in innovative, career-oriented education, TMU offers more than 60 undergraduate programs, over 65 graduate programs, and 80 continuing education certificate programs. The university boasts 10 faculties, including the Lincoln Alexander School of Law and the new TMU School of Medicine. It is also home to 11 startup incubators, known as Zones, that support innovation across sectors – from health and life sciences to creative industries and social impact. Established in 1948, TMU is home to nearly 48,000 students, including 2,900 Master’s and PhD students, 4,000 faculty and staff, and over 265,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit torontomu.ca.

 

For Media Inquiries

Lindsey Craig
Toronto Metropolitan University
lindseyc@torontomu.ca