Eating Ice Cream for Breakfast Makes You Smarter

Question

According to the Telegraph story, subjects were told to eat ice cream upon first awakening, and then had their mental acuity tested by performing tasks on a computer. Those who'd eaten ice cream performed better and had faster reaction times, researchers found.

Comments

This is a really interesting claim made, that eating ice cream makes you smarter. Which isn't true at all based on the article. It states that eating cold things and sugar will keep you more mentality alert. But no where does it state that it will improve how smart you are. It actually states that "If you want to be smart (or have a long, healthy life) eating sweets every morning for breakfast is the last thing you should do." Thats very true in order to improve your life u need to take care of yourself

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This was a great source for this claim, but I don't feel as though it is true. While the claim about ice cream making you smarter is intriguing, and I wish it was true, the article clarifies its focus on mental alertness rather than cognitive enhancement, underscoring the importance of a balanced and healthy lifestyle for long-term well-being.

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I agree with your advice to look at the group size and diversity. That's a very important part of figuring out how reliable a psychological study is. It would also be useful to know if the results were affected by the participants' normal diets or how they grew up eating breakfast. Would someone from a country where breakfast is usually sweet react differently than someone from a country where breakfast is typically savory? This might help us determine if ice cream has the same effects for everyone or depends on the situation.

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You make a great point about how important it is to question single results, especially when big claims are being made. I would also say that it is very important to find out if the Institute of Psychology in London is connected to or receives funding from any groups that could affect the results of their study. Results can sometimes be skewed by funding from businesses. Also, it might sound interesting to say that ice cream can make you happy and improve brain function, but did the piece or study take into account other factors, such as the placebo effect or the participants' normal eating habits? These could have a big effect on the results, and talking about them would make your case stronger.

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It might also be worth considering the long-term effects of regularly eating sugary foods like ice cream. While the short-term boost in mental performance is interesting, it’s important to consider how sugar impacts health and cognitive function over time.

Answer 1

The prompt, "eating ice cream for breakfast makes you smarter," it is true to some extent. Glucose is necessary for the brain to function. When there is a shortage of glucose in the bloodstream, neurotransmitters can break down and can lead to reduced cognitive function. People with diabetes can struggle with this when their glucose levels are low. Even though this is the case, a surplus of sugar can cause the same issues. Studies from UCLA using an animal model suggest that excessive glucose can age cells and cause reduced cognitive function as well. Excess sugar can also cause problems to other organs which can have a negative affect on health. The idea of eating ice cream for breakfast does sound appealing, but I can't say that it makes you smarter. You would be able to get more benefit from eating a balanced breakfast, with the right ratio of sugar, which would provide you with bountiful energy and strength for the day ahead.

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/sugar-brain

Answer 2

Analyzing the article, I was able to find the source from The Telegraph that claims ice cream can make you more alert mentally and wake you up. As an effect of being awake, better reaction time and alertness, people are able to perform better in studying and school. However, the article doesn't say anything clear that eating ice cream for breakfast will make you smarter just by itself.

An article on inc.com emphasizes that sugar is not good for anyone's health when eaten too often, and moreover it can lead to "depression" or "reduce your brain function". 

There are multiple articles about benefits from eating ice cream for breakfast, but I didn't find a one stating and confirming that ice cream will make you smarter. 

The article from The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/23/ice-cream-breakfast-makes-smarter-japanese-scientist-claims/

Answer 3

while I like the idea and place you where going with this claim, I sadly have to disagree that eating ice cream in the morning doesn't actually makes you smarter or more mentally aware. when you read through this whole article you can see that this quote is taken out of context. while sugar or ice cream does make you more awake and alert in the short term, the article shows that actually the less sugar you eat the better your brain function is throughout the long term.