Breakfast improves mood, attention

Having breakfast may help adolescents feel better and pay more attention in school but the impact differs for boys and girls. To determine whether breakfast had effects on the cognitive performance and mood of adolescents, researchers from Germany studied 104 school students aged between 13 and 20 years. Half of the students received a standard breakfast, whereas the other half did not receive any breakfast. Seven days later, the treatment order was reversed. Measurements of cognitive function included standardised tests of attention and concentration, as well as tests of verbal and spatial memory. In addition, mood was rated with a self-administered questionnaire covering the dimensions of positive and negative affect, information uptake, arousal, and alertness. Eating breakfast was found to have no effect on the students' ability to sustain attention, but all the students reported feeling more alert after eating breakfast. Boys reported that their mood was better after they ate breakfast, while they also scored better on tests of visuospatial memory. No such difference in mood was found in girls. The researchers noted that having breakfast before going to the school could give students the energy and nutrients they need to produce brain signaling chemicals known as neurotransmitters, while the protein, carbohydrate and fat composition of the meal might also affect their moods.

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