The old saying tells us that breakfast It’s the most important meal of the day, and it turns out that food wisdom tidbit might be true. That’s because a new study has found that skipping breakfast could seriously damage your cognitive function.
The results were reported in a paper by Dr. Changzheng Yuan and Dr. Dongmei Yu of Zhejiang University, which was published in metabolism of life. The findings were based on a study involving 3,342 participants from the China Nutritional Health Survey (CHNS) public database. All were men with a mean age of 62 years. The data focused on the participants’ eating habits, specifically when they ate and which meals they tended to skip, while taking phone tests related to cognitive functions such as remembering, counting and basic math.
While they noted that various lifestyle and health factors could affect the results, the researchers found that eating on an evenly distributed schedule was best for cognitive health. On the other hand, skipping breakfast increases the risk of damage to cognitive function.
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“This study is not surprising and makes a lot of sense, mainly because it aligns with similar studies suggesting the same results for children, adolescents, and young adults who skip meals.” Kiran Campbell, RDNa registered dietitian nutritionist, says eat this not that!
Campbell notes that “skipping breakfast, no matter the reason, ends up being completely counterproductive in the end,” saying, “Whether you’re in a hurry, don’t know what to eat, or just aren’t hungry right now, skipping breakfast is a bad idea. Having said that, Campbell points out that “eating a poor quality a breakfast consisting only of simple sugars (such as a chocolate bar) can have a negative impact on cognitive function.”
Explaining that “our bodies rely on glucose for fuel to keep our brains running at an optimal level,” Campbell says that “if you skip the first meal of the day, you’re essentially depriving your body and brain of the fuel it needs to get going.” go and hold on until you decide to eat.
As for eating on a more evenly distributed schedule, Campbell says, “I instruct patients not to go more than 4 to 5 hours without eating during waking hours. This is not only to prevent decline in cognitive function and thinking skills, but also to maintain proper blood sugar levels and body weight over time.
In fact, beyond the benefits for cognitive function, Campbell notes that “skipping meals has negative effects in areas other than cognitive decline.” She says Eat this, not that!“Studies indicate that skipping meals may be associated with weight gain and increased risk of metabolic disease, risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, insulin resistance, and elevated fasting lipid levels.”
That’s why “your goal should be to start your day off right with the nutrients your body and mind need to function properly” and, as Campbell noted above, “make sure to refuel every 4-5 hours to keep you going.”
Desiree O
Desirée O is a freelance writer who covers lifestyle, food and nutrition news, among other topics. Read more about Desiree
