Is it okay for students to eat chocolate before an exam?

Examinations bring a lot of social pressure to students, so naturally they need to know some ways to relieve stress. It is appropriate to eat some chocolate before the exam, which can also help supplement DHA and various vitamins and minerals.

1. Studies have found that the functioning of the brain is closely related to glucose. Glucose in the blood is the only energy source for the brain to function. At the same time, the brain is a major user of glucose. The brain, which accounts for only 2% of the human body weight, consumes 20% to 30% of the total energy (i.e. glucose) of the human body.

2. The study also found that the brain not only needs glucose in the blood to function, but its operating state depends to a large extent on the level of glucose in the blood. Brain cells’ requirement for blood sugar is that it should not be too high or too low. Both insufficient and excessive blood sugar will affect the smooth functioning of the brain.

3. Experiments show that students whose blood sugar is stable at a normal high level have improved scores in difficult and challenging mental tests. Moreover, the brain needs to break down more blood glucose when it is highly active. The more intense the mental activity, the more important it is to have adequate blood glucose or brain glucose supply.

4. In addition to daily diet, are there any other foods or nutritional supplements that can help candidates reach the sprint state before the exam? Dai Guangqiang suggested: "Eating a piece of chocolate half an hour before the exam and drinking a cup of tea or coffee in the morning and afternoon during the exam will help candidates to have sufficient brain power; in addition, they can also supplement with more DHA and multiple vitamins and minerals."

5. A recent study reported that British researchers found that the flavanols rich in chocolate can increase blood flow to the brain, thereby increasing the supply of glucose and oxygen to the brain. The researchers specifically suggested that eating a piece of chocolate before a maths test could be beneficial for test takers. "I recommend eating a piece of chocolate before any exam," said Dai Guangqiang.

6. In addition, Dr. Barbara Levine, a nutritionist at New York Cornell Hospital Medical Center, said: "Supplementing with DHA before the exam can lead to better test scores." DHA is mainly found in fish, especially sea bass and marine fish, which are rich in DHA. Therefore, "it is very helpful for candidates to eat more fish during the review days and the exam period." Dai Guangqiang also introduced that B vitamins such as B1, B2, B6, B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, chromium, etc. can also be considered for supplementation during review and examinations.