A breakfast high in sugar and fats negatively affects mood.
A breakfast high in sugar and fats can negatively affect well-being and mental performance within the first hours after eating. This conclusion was reached by scientists who published a study in the journal Food and Humanity (FH).
The experiment involved young women who were offered either a balanced breakfast or a sweet and fatty one on different days, with the same caloric content. The results showed that after the sweet and fatty breakfast, participants more frequently felt drowsy and performed worse on tasks related to planning and switching between tasks. These functions are directly related to concentration, learnability, and effective work. At the same time, a balanced breakfast contributed to an increase in alertness and subjective feelings of energy shortly after eating.
Physiological measurements complemented the picture: the sweet and fatty breakfast caused a predominance of the "rest mode" in the functioning of the nervous system. Heart rate decreased, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which usually dominates during rest, became more active. This effect may be beneficial in the evening, but in the morning it can hinder active mental activity.
The authors emphasize that the study is short-term; however, its findings highlight the importance of breakfast composition. According to the scientists, the habit of starting the day with sweet pastries and fatty foods may subtly worsen mood, reduce concentration, and potentially affect performance, especially in women.
