Rethinking breakfast: Cognitive, metabolic and psycological aspects

Numerous scientific evidence indicates that regular breakfast consumption is associated with improved health outcomes across all age groups.However, epidemiological data show that breakfast is often the most neglected and monotonous meal, sometimes limited to the intake of a single beverage and frequently eaten away from home due to time constraints or habitual factors.The aim of this work is to critically examine the available evidence on the role of breakfast in metabolic, cognitive, and psychological health, while also exploring related habits and behavioral patterns.Although much of the available evidence is derived from observational studies, an association has been observed between an adequate breakfast and improvements in cognitive function, lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance, with favourable effects also observed on subsequent meals.Furthermore, regular breakfast consumption is associated with a lower BMI and a reduced risk of obesity, whereas breakfast skipping is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.Finally, omitting breakfast has been associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms, increased stress, and mood disturbances.In light of this evidence, and taking individual nutritional requirements into account, promoting and supporting regular breakfast consumption appears advisable.The growing attention to the hedonic and utilitarian components of food choice highlights the need to offer breakfasts that are palatable, varied, and nutritionally adequate.From this perspective, diversifying breakfast options, including the adoption of alternative models beyond traditional Ripensare la prima colazione: aspetti cognitivi, psicologici e metabolici