The Proven Benefits of Breakfast

June 28, 2007

After eight to 12 hours overnight without food, your body needs to refuel its glucose levels. Without breakfast, your brain and your muscles will not have the energy they need to sustain activity throughout the day.

Research has found people who skip breakfast often feel more tired, irritable and restless in the morning. On the other hand, those who do eat breakfast have a better attitude toward work, higher productivity and better ability to handle tasks that require memory.

Breakfast eaters also have more strength and endurance and better concentration and problem-solving ability. Plus, breakfast helps you reach your recommended calories and nutrients. A whole-grain cereal with milk and citrus juice can provide 100 percent of the vitamin C, 33 percent of your calcium, thiamin and riboflavin and a good supply of fiber, iron and folate.

You can make a healthy breakfast in as little as one minute (a bran muffin with yogurt topped with berries, for example, or instant oatmeal topped with cheese) — a great investment of time that will pay off all day long.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team