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

Now off the bat I think this claim is a reach, one source is not enough to claim a singular food can you make you more intelligent. now I know sugar may give you a quick energy boost which has been proven I don't think ice cream as a whole has been studied enough to make this claim

---

The conclusion of the article states, "As far as making ice cream your a regular breakfast goes, don’t do it. In fact, the less sugar you eat, the better brain function you’ll have in the long term." I agree with this response, but I couldn't find reliable sources in the article. A lot of the information that was given was not properly supported by other sources. CBS News has an article that discusses the possibility of eating ice cream for breakfast, increasing someone's reaction rate and ability to process information. "According to The Guardian, a similar test performed back in 2005 by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry in London revealed that one spoonful of ice cream gives your brain the same type of pleasure as winning money or listening to your favorite music."

https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/study-ice-cream-for-breakfast-boosts-brain-performance/

---

It's not hard to tell that the statement made in this article is untrue and meant to be clickbait. When something seems too good to be true, it often is. The fact that the study was first picked up by a website called "Excite News" raises much concern. A viable research study would include a dependent variable, an independent variable, and a control group. CBS News picked up on this ridiculous article to get more engagement on their site. The fact that they spent no time backing up their claim with evidence told me all I needed to know about this study. When researching this claim, I discovered a 2019 article from The Guardian that directly contradicts this claim. They state that heavily processed foods like ice cream increase the risk of disease and death. The study cited in the article by Professor Yoshihiko Koga claim eating ice cream in the morning improved alertness and mental performance. His conclusion was based on analyzing brain activity after eating different foods in the morning. If Ice cream is so good for brain health, then wouldn't I be able to eat a donut because it has similar amounts of fat and sugar? Lastly, a British nutritionist Katie Barfoot cited in The Telegraph article that the simple fact of consuming breakfast vs. not consuming breakfast could have a profound effect on mental awareness in the morning.

https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/study-ice-cream-for-breakfast-boosts-brain-performance/

https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/does-eating-ice-cream-for-breakfast-make-you-smarter-maybe-but-dont-make-a-habit.html

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

---

While you proved a decent point on the topic, your title is very misleading. In an article by the “Business Insider”, A Nutritional Psychology Doctoral Researcher at Reading University claimed, "A possible explanation [for increased alertness]... is the simple presence of consuming breakfast vs. not consuming breakfast." While your claim is somewhat true, the real meaning isn’t that it truly makes you smarter, rather it just gives your body a sugar high, because food in general supports the body. Also, it would be interesting to see the long term effects of eating so much ice cream.

---

Have you considered what this will do in the long term? The article you provided states, "Eating ice cream first thing in the morning makes people more mentally alert," this doesn't necessarily mean it makes "smarter."  Anyone who likes ice cream would be happier if they ate it in the morning, but that doesn't make you smart. Your article also stated, "Ironically, in the long run it will increase your risk of depression, reduce your brain function, and make you more susceptible to Alzheimer’s. 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." This statement contradicts your claim.

https://www.businessinsider.com/dont-eat-ice-cream-breakfast-2016-11

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.

Answer 4

I appreciate the notion of this claim, but when looking at the article provided it does state that the contents of the research couldn't be fully verified due to it being conducted in another language. This claim is very intriguing and provoked a lot of interest, but with my research, I found an article from a credible source that talks of the concerns regarding this in relation to health journalists. The article explains that eating ice cream for breakfast isn't a good idea for many reasons and offers some facts that relatively debunk the claims made in the original article. The Inc article suggests that ice cream gives a boost of energy and brain power because of its content of sugar and fat, but the Business Insider article states that while sugar can provide a quick boost it can also lead to a large blood sugar crash and cause. A sugar crash could also make you feel even less energetic and focused in the morning which is the opposite of what this original claim is stating.

Additionally, while Inc.com is a legitimate source it does lack substantial information to support this specific claim whereas Business Insider utilizes multiple sources and opinions from health professionals.

https://www.businessinsider.com/dont-eat-ice-cream-breakfast-2016-11

Answer 5

Based on the rest of the article linked above, this statement is false. The other half of the article talks about the negative effects of eating sugar all the time. It is proven that lots of sugar is bad for people and can help lead to problems like depression and Alzheimer's. The article states, "If you want to be smart, eating sweets every morning for breakfast is the last thing you should do". This, furthermore, proves that the statement above, that eating ice cream for breakfast makes you smarter, is false. Another article, written by Baton Rouge Clinic, states that ice cream should be a treat once in a while, not something someone should consume everyday.

Answer 6

While I did find certain articles of people claiming that ice cream was the answer for their intelligence improvement the more credible sources disagreed. According to an article from Business Insider, it's more about the fact that a brain with food will function better than a fasted brain but this has nothing to do with ice cream itself. According to Inc, "Ironically, in the long run it will increase your risk of depression, reduce your brain function, and make you more susceptible to Alzheimer’s. 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." This proves that ice cream for breakfast in the long run can do the opposite of making you smarter therefore discrediting the claim.

https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/does-eating-ice-cream-for-breakfast-make-you-smarter-maybe-but-dont-make-a-habit.html

https://www.businessinsider.com/dont-eat-ice-cream-breakfast-2016-11

Answer 7

Based on the article you presented there is no sufficient evidence to support your claim that ice cream makes you smarter. There is no evidence that the study accounted for extraneous variables. This means that the so called increase in intelligence could be caused by something else. There is also no proof that this study was tested cross culturally. So claiming that ice cream increases intelligence is a broad claim when it does not account for background and culture. Finally the article itself says "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." This means that the conclusion that you stated is misleading.

Answer 8

The claim that eating ice cream for breakfast enhances mental performance was made by Professor Yoshihiko Koga of Kyorin University in Tokyo. According to reports, participants who consumed ice cream immediately after waking up showed increased alertness and faster response times to those who did not. However the validity of this claim has been questioned because the original research is not readily available in english and details about its methodology are scarce. There are also no other articles about how eating ice cream is good for you.

Answer 9

No, eating ice cream for breakfast does not necessarily make you smarter. The claim refers to a study by Professor Yoshihiko Koga from Kyorin University in Tokyo that suggests that consuming ice cream upon waking may improve mental alertness. In the experiment, half of the participants were asked to eat ice cream directly after waking up before engaging in a mental acuity test and the other half ate nothing before doing the mental test. The experiment reflected that the participants who ate ice cream before taking the acuity test were more alert and had better reaction times. However, I was unable to find the research published in a peer-reviewed journal, making it very difficult to verify its credibility. 

Experts suggest that the cognitive benefits may stem from eating breakfast in general rather than ice cream specifically, as glucose provides energy to the brain. Breakfast is widely acknowledged to be the most important meal of the day. The article itself points out that in general, people who eat something early in the day may be more alert than those who eat nothing. I was able to verify this claim in an article from the National Library of Medicine, which states, “breakfast consumption is more beneficial than skipping breakfast to cognitive outcomes” (NIH). Furthermore, the article itself refutes it's own title, emphasizing that frequent consumption of high-sugar foods has been linked to negative long-term effects, including impaired brain function and increased risk or neurodegenerative diseases. 

To sum things up: This claim is misleading, and there is no conclusive scientific evidence proving that eating ice cream for breakfast makes you smarter. While it may provide a temporary cognitive boost due to increased glucose levels, the long-term  health risks of regular high-sugar intake outweigh any short-term potential benefits.

Sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3737458/ 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/23/ice-cream-breakfast-makes-smarter-japanese-scientist-claims/?ICID=continue_without_subscribing_reg_first 

Answer 10

There is not enough research on the health impacts of eating ice cream and brain activity. In the research that was provided only noted that subjects who ate the ice cream showed more alertness. This could be due to the fact that when we eat something sweet that we enjoy there is an increase in dopamine activating our brains reward system, which can be the reason for alertness and attention. It is important to remember that the intake of excess sugar can have poor affects on health and you should beware of dependent behavior which could lead to diabetes and impairments.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22581-dopamine

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