Wake up at ten and realize that you are late for class/work, you quickly dress up and run to your destination. Many of us have skipped breakfast at least once and possibly for different reasons, including tiredness or saving money. Based on research released in 2014, 18% of children living in England have been skipping breakfast. However, did you know breakfast is actually the most important meal of the day according to nutritionists? As implied from the term, breakfast means “break the fast” through the night. The rich content of complex carbohydrates in breakfast food, such as cereal and bread, can help refill blood glucose concentration levels in your body. The brain needs glucose for fuel and to function efficiently; thus, breakfast consumption is highly associated with improved cognitive activity. There is a large volume of research focused on the influence of breakfast towards human brain function and have found that breakfast not only increases work efficiency in the late morning but also develops a higher IQ and increases both short and long term memories, which contributes to a better learning experience for students.
Moreover, breakfast is aimed to provide roughly 20% of our daily energy intake. Contradictory to the social belief that “eating less is associated with weight loss”, skipping breakfast has been linked to becoming overweight. It might seem odd, but in fact, skipping breakfast has been discovered to impact your food choices. Some studies have indicated that irregular breakfast-eaters tend to have lower fruits and vegetable intake as well as the tendency of choosing unhealthier foods (i.e. fast food) for lunch or dinner. With the differences in food consumption patterns, teenagers that do not consume breakfast routinely were found to have a higher incidence of obesity and a lower physical fitness as compared to a regular breakfast consumer.
For those of you who do not have a habit of eating breakfast, let’s try to get started tomorrow and make eating breakfast a positive change in your life!
Reference:
Langley-Evans, S. C. (2015). Nutrition, health and disease: A lifespan approach. Chichester:
Wiley.
Meiselman, H. L. (2009). Meals in science and practice: Interdisciplinary research and
business applications. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Meletis, C. D., & Barker, J. E. (2004). Herbs and nutrients for the mind: A guide to natural
brain enhancers. Westport, CT: Praeger.
