For years we’ve heard about how bad overexposure to the sun can be for children. But what about underexposure?

About 70% of U.S. children have low levels of Vitamin D, which has been attributed to a sedentary lifestyle that keeps more kids out of the sun. And now, a study at the Oakland Research Institute has specifically linked Vitamin D to brain health, showing that its active form binds to receptors in the brain.¹

After a good dinner, you may want to loosen the belt and relax a little bit – it’s been a long day, after all. Instead, lace up those sneakers and take a family walk.

For years we’ve heard that listening to Mozart makes kids smarter.

Not so fast, Wolfgang. There’s disagreement whether simply listening to music stimulates learning; however, a study at the University of Toronto² showed that children who learned a musical instrument or how to sing gained a small but statistically significant IQ boost.

Yet more studies have come out supporting the idea that physical activity can improve cognition.^3,4

Experts aren’t sure exactly how exercise fuels learning, but they know that it does. “There’s sort of no question about it now,” said Dr. John J. Ratey, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.