Ice cream for breakfast?  It could make you smarter.    

NOVEMBER 2016 

If you are not yet salivating, then read on….  A Japanese scientist has discovered that consuming ice cream for breakfast improves a person's alertness and mental performance. 

Yoshihiko Koga, a professor at Tokyo's Kyorin University, has carried out a series of clinical trials in which test subjects were required to eat ice cream immediately after waking up. They were then put through a series of mental exercises on a computer. 

Compared to a group that had not eaten ice cream, Prof Koga's subjects exhibited faster reaction times and better information-processing capabilities. Monitoring of the subjects' brain activity revealed an increase in high-frequency alpha waves, which are linked to elevated levels of alertness and reduced mental irritation.  (How can you be irritated when enjoying an ice cream?) 

To examine the possibility that the test subjects' reactions were simply the result of the brain being shocked into higher levels of alertness by the low temperature of the ice cream, Prof Koga repeated the experiment with cold water instead of ice cream.  Test subjects who drank cold water did display a degree of increased alertness and mental capacity, although the levels were markedly lower than among subjects who started the day with ice cream. 

Prof Koga is a specialist in psychophysiology, with his studies including looking into links between certain types of food and reduced stress.  

Another area of study is the connection between different foods and their impact on the ageing process. 

Prof Koga is continuing his research and has yet to determine a firm connection between the mental boost delivered by ice cream and a specific ingredient, while another explanation may lie in the sense that ice cream is a treat that triggers positive emotions and added energy. 

British nutritionists have reacted with some skepticism to Dr Koga's findings. 

"A possible explanation [for increased alertness...] is the simple presence of consuming breakfast vs. not consuming breakfast," said Katie Barfoot, a Nutritional Psychology Doctoral Researcher at Reading University.  

"Our brain needs glucose to function, and a high glucose meal will aid mental capacity considerably compared to a fasted brain. 

"This, however, does not condone eating dessert for breakfast. A study which explores the interaction between consumption of low and high GI foods, whilst including a fasted group, would establish a better understanding of this increased mental capacity." 

There has already been some scientific research into why ice cream may have a positive mental effect on those who eat it. 

In 2005, neuroscientists at the Institute of Psychiatry in London scanned the brains of test subjects as they ate vanilla ice cream and saw immediate results.  

The study found that eating ice cream activated the same "pleasure spots" of the brain that are lit up by winning money, or listening to a favourite piece of music.  ($1,000 or an ice cream?  I know which one I would choose!) 

"This is the first time that we've been able to show that ice cream makes you happy," Unilever spokesman Don Darling said at the time. 

"Just one spoonful lights up the happy zones of the brain in clinical trials." 

It's not the first time a study has suggested a high-calorie "dessert" could be better eaten in the morning, either - a 2012 study found that eating chocolate cake for breakfast could help you lose weight. 

It sounds too good to be true but new research says having dessert - along with the traditional fry up - burns off the pounds. 

Morning is the best time to consume sweets because that's when the body's metabolism is most active - and we have the rest of the day to work off the calories, a new study shows. 

Eating cookies or chocolate as part of breakfast that includes proteins and carbs also helps stem the craving for sweets later. 

Researchers split 193 clinically obese, non-diabetic adults into two groups who consumed either a low-carb diet that included a 300-calorie breakfast or a balanced 600-calorie breakfast that included a chocolate cake dessert. 

Halfway through the 32-week study both groups had lost an average of 15kg per person. But in the second half of the study the low-carb group regained an average of 10kg per person - while the dessert gorgers lost another 6.8kg each. 

Prof Jakubowicz, of Tel Aviv University, said attempting to avoid sweets entirely can create a psychological addiction to these same foods in the long-term. 

Breakfast is the meal that most successfully regulates ghrelin, the hormone that increases hunger, said Prof Jakubowicz.  The level of ghrelin rises before every meal, it is suppressed most effectively at breakfast time. 

It's not only good for body function but it also alleviates cravings. Highly restrictive diets that forbid desserts and carbohydrates are initially effective but often cause dieters to stray from their food plans as a result of withdrawal-like symptoms. They wind up regaining much of the weight they lost during the diet proper.   

I think that I am withdrawing from lunch and dinner – just give me three breakfasts a day. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/23/ice-cream-breakfast-makes-smarter-japanese-scientist-claims/ 

The New Zealand Womens Weekly present a list of other beneficial foods

Eggs fight age-related brain shrinkage.

As we get older our brains shrink, by about 0.5 per cent per year after the age of 50. It’s not exactly known how this is related to cognitive decline, but there is believed to be some link. Keeping your brain ‘big’ seems to be the key, and how much it shrinks seems to strongly correlate with levels of vitamin B12 in your blood

Coffee protects your brain from harm.

When it comes to brain health, a daily cup of coffee can be protective. It seems to reinforce what’s known as the blood-brain barrier, which protects your central nervous system from chemicals and other pollutants.

Water makes your thoughts more energy efficient.

When teenagers were tested for their ability to perform mental tasks in a hydrated or dehydrated state, the results showed that, although the outcome was the same for both groups, those who were dehydrated expended a greater amount of energy.

Iron can speed up how fast you think.

It’s well known iron boosts the development of the brain in babies, but it also keeps it functioning at full pelt in adulthood as well. A US study found women performed better at cognitive tasks when (even minor) iron deficiencies were reversed.

Blueberries boost your concentration.

A large helping (200g) of blueberries in the morning, eaten on their own or in a smoothie, can improve your focus in the afternoon by 15 to 20 per cent. It’s thanks to the flavonoids in the berries, say the researchers, which help to increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. Strawberries have a similar effect.

Walnuts might help you come to the right conclusion.

If your decision-making powers need a boost, consider including half a cup of walnuts in your daily diet. The brain-enhancing nutrients they contain can help you judge what’s true or false in a situation, say researchers. It won’t make you a critical thinker, but students and young professionals in maths, physics and sciences that involve critical thinking or decision-making could benefit from eating walnuts.

Walnuts are often ranked the top nut for having both more healthful antioxidants, called polyphenols, and a higher antioxidant potency than other nuts. They are also the only nut that contains a significant source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid with heart and brain-health benefits. Here's some of the benefits that these nuts are claimed to provide:- 

1. They boost brain power;   

2. They reduce cardiovascular risk. 

3. They protect against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. 

4. They help bone health. 

5. They fight against Alzheimer's disease. 

6. They can improve male fertility. 

7. They protect arteries against short-term damage. 

Salmon improves how brain cells talk to each other.

Every thought and function in your brain is triggered by your brain cells talking to each other. For this process to take place efficiently we need good amounts of the omega-3 fat DHA, of which salmon is a rich source. “Our brain and body are deficient in the mechanism to make DHA; it has to come from the diet,” say researchers, who recommend eating salmon three times a week.

Celery fights inflammation and keeps your brain young.

Filling up on foods like celery and yellow pepper may help fight age-related inflammatory chemicals that inhibit memory and learning. A substance called luteolin found in certain foods seems to counteract this. Scientists are not sure yet how much of these vegetables we need to eat to fight the inflammation, but sticking to the recommended daily portions of fruit and vegetables is a good place to start.  (Perhaps not as tasty as ice cream or chocolate dessetr?)

Turmeric could fight depression.

An ingredient in the spice turmeric, has been found to increase levels of a substance – brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) – that is often found lacking in patients with major depression. In fact, most antidepressants work partly by increasing levels of BDNF. So try adding a dash of spice to your next meal and you might just feel a little brighter.

A turmeric latte, also containing cinnamon, ginger and black pepper, is becoming the favoured morning pick-me-up for health aficionados.

Strawberries switch on the brain’s natural detoxers.

One of the theories as to why our brain performance worsens as we age is that there’s a build-up of proteins and other biochemical waste in the brain that clogs things up. Normally this is cleared by ‘cleaning cells’ in the brain, but as we age these start to slow down and may even start to damage healthy cells. The good news is berries come to the rescue once again, with science showing that a high intake of these sweet little gems – blueberries, strawberries and acai berries in particular – seems to revive the cells’ cleaning capacity.

http://www.womensweekly.co.nz/latest/health/food-for-your-brain-19322