A bad breakfast has negative repercussions on the study, research indicates | Food

Teenagers who have a healthy breakfast every day show better academic performance compared to those who opt for ultra-processed foods with excess sugar, putting them on the same level as those who simply skip the first meal of the day.

The study by the University of New South Wales, Australia, included 648 private school students aged between 13 and 15, observing what each had eaten for breakfast and, hours later, recording their performance. on a science test.

The data collected led the researchers to indicate that the effect of breakfast lasts for hours, and it was the teenagers who had the healthiest first meals, which included fruit, dairy products, whole grains and water, who obtained the best results in the test. Among those who ate nothing and those who preferred unhealthy foods, namely soft drinks, processed meat, fast food and pastry products, no significant differences were observed.

The research focused on students from private schools in order to control socioeconomic status, a relevant factor in food choices. “One of the things we’re particularly proud of in this research is the number of factors we were able to control, and we found that breakfast surpassed all of that,” said lead researcher Andrew Martin, professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of New Wales. South.