We've all heard the saying, but what does the science say?
Breakfast, as the name suggests breaks your overnight fast that occurs while sleeping. Eating breakfast replenishes your supply of glucose, which boosts your energy levels and alertness. Many studies have shown that eating a breakfast increases your ability to concentrate in the short term and can help with your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in the long-term.
Studies suggest that not having breakfast affects your mental performance, including your attention, ability to concentrate and memory. This can make some tasks feel harder than they normally would.
Early starts, long commutes and busy morning schedules mean many of us don’t make time to sit down to breakfast before heading out for the day, so it’s important to have on-the-go options like bars, fruits, nuts or smoothies.
Sources:
Adolphus K, Lawton CL, Champ CL, Dye L, 2016, The effects of breakfast and breakfast composition on cognition in children and adolescents: a systematic review, Advances in Nutrition, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 590S–612S
Zipp A, Eissing G, 2019, Studies on the influence of breakfast on the mental performance of school children and adolescents, Journal of Public Health, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 103–110.
O'Neil CE, Nicklas TA, Fulgoni VL, 2014, Nutrient intake, diet quality, and weight/adiposity parameters in breakfast patterns compared with no breakfast in adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2008, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 114, no. 12, pp. S27–S43
Bi H, Gan Y, Yang C, Chen Y, Tong X, Lu Z, 2015,Breakfast skipping and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of observational studies, Public Health Nutrition, vol. 18, no. 16, pp. 3013–3019