5 Foods To Avoid If You Want To Improve Your Focus And Concentration

ADHD aside, sometimes concentrating long enough to finish a work or school task feels impossible. You sit down at your computer with the best of intentions only to end up toggling between 10 different tabs because your focus is anywhere except on the task at hand.

Anxiety, depression, not getting enough sleep and boredom can all cause trouble concentrating. But diet can also play a role.When it comes to this connection, registered dietitian Yaa Boakye told HuffPost, “It’s important to remember that individuals have different reactions to food and could be dealing with underlying health conditions.”

With that disclaimer in place, there are some foods and drinks that scientific research shows can really mess with your concentration. Here, doctors and dietitians reveal the biggest culprits.

1. Pastries And White Bread

If you have a big muffin or slice of toasted white bread for breakfast, you aren’t exactly starting the day with brain food. Neurologist Dr. Arif Dalvi shared that simple carbs — like the aforementioned examples — can lead to a blood sugar spike, which in turn can cause trouble concentrating. Boakye agreed, explaining that when blood sugar is too high or too low, it can cause trouble concentrating, and simple carbs can jump-start this unfortunate roller coaster.

Boakye explained that while glucose — a type of carbohydrate — provides energy to brain cells , when glucose is absorbed in the bloodstream quickly (which is what happens when you eat foods like pastries and white bread) it creates a blood sugar imbalance. Scientific research shows that a side effect of this imbalance is … yep, trouble concentrating.

Here’s the good news: Boakye says you can still enjoy pastries and bread without worrying if