Skipping breakfast can impact brain function, researchers say

Contrary to what advertisements often suggest, a seemingly filling breakfast is not always a good choice—especially for our brains.

Researchers from Macquarie University in Sydney have proven this. By studying how breakfast foods affect metabolism and cognitive abilities, they discovered that popular choices like toast or sweet milk drinks lower brain function.

The study involved 1,000 healthy individuals divided into three groups. During the four-day experiment, each group consumed specially prepared meals.

The first group ate fatty and unhealthy products (toast and chocolate shakes). The others were served meals of higher nutritional value but in smaller portions.

Participants underwent tests for learning speed and memory before the experiment began and immediately after it concluded. In summary, Australian researchers found that those who consumed fatty and sugary breakfasts performed worse on tests than those who ate healthier meals to start the day.

The study results were published in "The Conversation." The study's head, Dominic Train, explained that consuming unhealthy breakfasts raises blood sugar levels, negatively affecting memory and cognitive functions.

Similar results were found in studies conducted at the University of Oxford and reported by the journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The goal was to understand the impact of unhealthy breakfasts on memory and information processing ability.

The experiment involved 16 men aged 19 to 28 years who ate assigned breakfasts for five days. One group consumed low-carbohydrate meals, another received carbohydrate-rich products, and the third group started the day with a balanced breakfast.

The least healthy meals contained 70% fat, 26% protein, and 4% carbohydrates. In comparison, healthy breakfasts comprised 50% carbohydrates, 26% protein, and 24% fat.