Try brain-boosting bread for breakfast

Related tags Breakfast Nutrition

In today's time-pressed society, breakfast is often one of the
first things to be sacrificed. Commuters might grab a quick bite
behind the wheel of their car, or at the train station, while
office workers occasionally grab a roll or croissant to eat at
their desk.

But while doing away with breakfast can certainly save time, missing out on a bowl of cereal or a piece of toast could also be bad for the brain.

A nationwide UK study launched this week will test whether eating a healthy breakfast can help children - and adults - improve their concentration and speed up reaction times.

The study is being conducted by a leading cognitive research institute, CDR, for the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA), the body which promotes and assists the British cereal industry. It is being carried out as part of Farmhouse Breakfast week, which aims to highlight the benefits of eating a healthy balanced breakfast.

"A healthy balanced breakfast, rich in whole grains and low in sugar, is the best way to kick-start your mind and body at the start of the day,"​ said nutritionist Fiona Hunter. "Bread and cereals are excellent sources of a huge range of essential nutrients, including the B vitamins, folic acid, calcium, iron and fibre. Whole grains have many positive health benefits, yet one-third of adults in the UK don't include any in their diet."

The study will focus primarily on children - some 11,000 schools across the UK are involved - and Rebecca Geraghty of the HGCA said the study was being launched because of growing public concern about the quality of children's diets and the increasing rates of childhood obesity and type-2 diabetes.

"The aim is to establish to what degree skipping breakfast affects our mental performance. Are children who start school on an empty stomach putting themselves at a disadvantage? Is their ability to learn and participate in the classroom better if they have had a healthy breakfast? We hope this will get a proper healthy, balanced breakfast back on the menu."

Participants in the study will complete a series of online​ tasks in a 10-minute test assessing memory and reaction times and answer a few simple questions about their breakfast habits. Children will only be able to submit entries through their school computers and the tests are safe, fun, anonymous and data-protected.

It is widely accepted that there are links between breakfast and performance, according to the HGCA. Previous research indicates that people who skip breakfast are more likely to suffer from poor concentration, mood swings, and impaired physical performance.

A recent survey of the eating habits of 5,200 children, conducted by the British Nutrition Foundation, found that by the age of 14 nearly 50 per cent of girls had stopped eating breakfast.

So why should we eat breakfast cereal or bread instead of sausages, eggs and bacon - or indeed nothing at all?

Grain products are good sources of glucose, described by the HGCA as "the brain's only fuel"​, vital for the manufacture of neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is important for memory. After fasting overnight, blood glucose levels are at a low ebb which may explain why people who do not refuel with breakfast have difficulty concentrating and perform less well in the morning, the organisation suggested.

Whole grains, including whole grain breakfast cereals, are also a rich source of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and dietary fibre which may work together to optimise human health, the HGCA said. As for the best cereal to eat at breakfast is, what about a bowl of porridge? Made with skimmed or semi skimmed milk, porridge is low in fat and high in carbohydrate, which promotes the feeling of fullness for longer, so reducing mid morning cravings for sugary snacks, the organisation suggests.

Related topics Ingredients

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars