It seems almost against the biology of some high schoolers to eat breakfast before school. Over the years of middle and high school, I’ve heard the sentence “I’m so hungry, I haven’t had breakfast today” numerous times. Today, I want to investigate this question once and for all: is it smart to eat breakfast before school or better to skip it?
We all know and have heard the cons of not eating breakfast before school. Increased fatigue, hunger, etc. But is that really all there is to it? Is it even a bad thing to deal with? A lot of us also have homework to finish before school, appearances to take care of, and maybe even some chores. Is it really worth sacrificing that precious time just to get a bite in? That’s exactly what I want to answer today.
An article from the Cleveland Clinic by Doctor Hyland explores this question. If you’ve doubted the health risks of skipping breakfast, Dr. Hyland explains how doing so can actually make you more susceptible to “blood sugar drops, which can affect their [the students’] brain, mood, and energy level.” Understandably, this alone may not convince you to stop eating breakfast if you’re a die-hard no breakfast person. Personally, I know that when I eat barely anything before going to school, I feel fine –but there’s a catch. In the same article, Dr. Hyland talks about how even consuming a mere glass of milk before school is better than eating absolutely nothing. So it turns out that I was feeling okay because I already had something in my body to use as fuel: milk. Knowing that even a liquid, like milk or a substitute, can energize you for the upcoming school day, there isn’t much of an excuse to skip breakfast.
If you’re still reluctant, let’s just use logic for a minute. A lot of students take advanced classes at our school. If you’re using your time in the morning to study or catch up on homework, you probably are one yourself. Even if you’re not taking an advanced class, I’m almost certain that everyone has a difficult subject they’re dealing with. From math to English, we deal with hard things everyday. To succeed and finish coursework in these classes, it takes a lot of thinking, focus, and honestly, grit! Now, how can you expect your mind to achieve this when you’ve got no fuel? How will you type out your long English essays and solve your lengthy equations?
In an article posted on the NIH (National Institutes of Health), three UK scientists (Katie Adolphus, Clare L Lawton, and Louise Dye) discussed the links between breakfast and academic performance. They explained how energizers like carbs and fats are great for you in the morning, but they provide a more interesting, and slightly scary stat. The scientists mentioned that the “longer overnight fasting period, due to higher sleep demands during childhood and adolescence compared with adults, can deplete glycogen stores overnight.” This means that our brains use a lot more of our energy while we’re asleep, as our sleep is more productive than an adult’s because of our rapid growth and development. That’s why a teenager skipping breakfast may feel more tired than an adult skipping breakfast.
From your brain’s fast glucose consumption to its inhibited performance in class, I hope that you can make the ultimate decision to start eating breakfast in the morning before school. After all, it may be the reason why you’ll be able to submit your homework on time, or have more meaningful focus in class. All in all, the benefits are practically endless!