Breakfast is important for the mental health of children and young adults

“Skipping breakfast or eating breakfast outside the home is directly associated with an increased likelihood of psychosocial problems among children and young adults.”

very clear pass Jose Francisco Lopez Gil, a researcher at Spain’s University of Castilla-La Mancha in Ciudad Real, says.

Together with three other researchers from England and Spain, Lopez Gill analyzed data from 3,772 answers to health questions in the 2017 Spanish National Health Survey.

There I found the group direct connection Between mental health and breakfast consumption – not least where young people eat breakfast.

According to researchers’ data, it has been found that for those aged 4 to 14, eating breakfast away from home is as harmful to mental health as skipping a meal altogether.

Our results suggest that not only is breakfast important, but it’s also as important as where young people eat breakfast — and what it consists of, Lopez Gil says of the researchers’ discovery.

The same research group hypothesized that the relationship between mental health and where breakfast is eaten may have something to do with the fact that breakfasts eaten on the go are often less nutritious than the morning meals parents prepare at home.

The researchers also revealed that they see a connection between young people’s mental health and the social and familial relationship that arises around a healthy, relaxing breakfast with the family.

Avoid eggs, cheese and meat at the breakfast table

It is also not unimportant what is eaten for breakfast. Here, the researchers found clear indications in the data material.

It’s good to have milk, tea, cocoa, yogurt, whole grain products such as oatmeal or muesli, toast and other types of bread on the breakfast table.

On the other hand, according to the results of the Spanish health survey, you should stay away from eggs, ham and cheese – foods that are usually high in fat and cholesterol.

Although the investigation is limited to Spain, the study results are in line with previous findings, while the researchers note that countries or regions where, for example, schools serve healthy and nutritious breakfasts are likely to produce different results.

“Our results support the need to not only promote that breakfast is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but also that breakfast should be eaten at home,” says José Francisco López-Gil.

“To avoid psychosocial health problems in young people, breakfast should also include dairy and/or cereals – and you should reduce the consumption of certain animal foods that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol.”

The next step is to examine cause and effect closely to explain why children and young people who skip breakfast or eat on the go often face psychological challenges that affect them socially.