Fact Check: Can skipping breakfast lead to gradual brain damage and an increased risk of memory loss?

Claim: An Instagram post claims that skipping breakfast can lead to gradual brain damage and an increased risk of memory loss. 

As per the user healthyjevan, those people who do not have breakfast in the morning, experience brain damage slowly, and skipping breakfast for a long time leads to reduced brain capacity and leads to brain damage which leads to serious problems like increased risk of memory loss and that is why is important to do breakfast in the morning. The reel has 236,452 likes can be accessed here.

Fact Check: This claim is MISLEADING.

Understanding the claims in the video.

The video makes several claims. These include skipping breakfast can lead to brain damage, and can lead to serious problems like increased risk of memory loss and hence it is important to eat breakfast in the morning. 

The video tends to imply that there is a definitive, severe consequences of skipping breakfast, such as brain damage. However, this is not supported by strong scientific evidence. The overall message may lead viewers to believe that breakfast is crucial for preventing serious health issues like memory loss, which is an oversimplification and not supported by conclusive evidence.

What is Memory Loss?

Memory Loss can arise due to multiple of factors. It can be a sudden onset like amnesia which is loss of memories, such as facts, information, and experiences. Unlike a temporary episode of memory loss (transient global amnesia), amnesia can be permanent. (1) It can be also gradual to dementia which is term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. (2)

Dr. Rahul Chawla, Associate Consultant Neurology, PSRI, New Delhi explained, "Memory loss can stem from a plethora of factors including neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, Stroke, Vascular Cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury, structural lesions such as nutritional deficiencies, lifestyle habits, and psychological factors such as depression."

Importance of a Good Breakfast

Breakfast is essential for providing vital nutrients and energy, boosts metabolism, and supports weight management. A nutritious morning meal enhances concentration, memory, and mood. It also regulates blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Skipping breakfast might lead to overeating and poor dietary choices later. Therefore, incorporating a balanced breakfast in a daily routine promotes overall health and boosts cognitive function.

Can skipping breakfast lead to brain damage and memory loss?

It is universally assumed that skipping breakfast can have cognitive impact. There is some evidence that link the skipping breakfast to lower cognitive performance in the short run. Having said that there is evidence to the contrary as well, especially in case of intermittent fasting diet. 

A study published in Nutrients by Humberto Peña-Jorquera et. al. found that skipping breakfast regularly was negatively linked with lower cognitive performance, especially in adolescents living with overweight/obesity. Adolescents with normal BMI and those who are overweight or obese performed better in cognitive evaluations when they had breakfast immediately before the test, especially if the meal included high-quality components, such as dairy products. The study's findings indicate that adolescents who consistently eat a nutritious breakfast and have it just before a cognitive task exhibit superior cognitive performance compared to those who skip breakfast or have lower-quality meals. (3) 

In another study published by Masato Kawabata et. al. in Nutrients, it was observed by authors that combining morning breakfast with exercise enhances adolescents' short-term performance and speed on mathematical tasks. In the study, it was observed that adolescents who consumed a low glycemic index breakfast and participated in 30 minutes of aerobic and bilateral coordinative exercise showed improvements in their mathematics scores and computation time on simple arithmetic tests, as well as enhanced reaction times in more complex cognitive tasks, compared to those who remained sedentary and fasted during the morning. Although these improvements were limited, they are nevertheless significant for short-term academic performance in youth. (4)

Studies have tried to establish a connection between dementia and skipping breakfast between A study published in 2022 in the Innovation in Aging found that for people with diabetes, skipping breakfast is a risk factor for obesity and dyslipidemia, which are further associated with dementia. However, the study did not find any direct correlations between dementia and skipping breakfast. (6) 

Further, in a study published in the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology by Rika Ishizuka et. al., it was found that breakfast skipping is longitudinally associated with declines in cognitive scores among older adults. (7)

Having said that,  there is evidence on the other side of the spectrum as well. A 2013 study noted that skipping Breakfast, which has been argued to have universally negative cognitive consequences is a “presumption” unsupported by scientific evidence. (5). We could not locate any study that supported the claim that skipping breakfast can lead to brain damage in the long run

Skipping breakfast is often a part of intermittent fasting which has also shown benefits on cognitive abilities. A study by Alby Elias et. al. published in Nutrition Reviews found that intermittent fasting (a dietary pattern that alternates between periods of voluntary fasting and eating over a given period which includes generally delaying or skipping breakfast) over the years will potentially reverse or delay the pathological process of Alzheimer's disease. (8)

The majority of the studies have hint on the short-term effects of skipping breakfast on cognitive function but the long-term effect of skipping breakfast has not been established. On the contrary, there is scientific evidence found related to the positive impacts of intermittent fasting which includes delaying or skipping breakfast on cognitive functions. 

Thus, to establish a direct connection between skipping breakfast and linking it to brain damage and memory loss is Misleading.

What do experts say?

The Medical Dialogues Fact Check Team spoke with Dr. Rahul Chawla, Associate Consultant, Neurology, PSRI, New Delhi he said, "Skipping breakfast has been shown to negatively impact memory functions, especially in children, in some low-powered studies. However, the claim that it may lead to ‘memory loss’ in the long term can not be made based on these studies and high-powered studies with larger sample sizes are needed. Having said that, breakfast is an important meal of the day and should not be missed. Skipping breakfast is a known trigger factor for migraine. It is also associated with lowered immunity. While the importance of eating a healthy breakfast daily can not be overemphasized, such scaremongering should be curtailed."

Responding to the claim Dr. Anshu Rohatgi, Senior Consultant Neurologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi explained, "Skipping breakfast can have some effects on memory and cognitive function. Research indicates that missing breakfast may lead to lower energy levels and reduced mental focus, which can impact memory performance. The brain relies on glucose for optimal functioning, and breakfast often provides a significant portion of this energy. However, it’s important to note that while skipping breakfast might cause temporary memory issues, it doesn’t necessarily lead to long-term memory loss or conditions like dementia. Consistently maintaining a balanced diet and healthy eating habits is crucial for overall brain health."

Medical Dialogues Final Take

While it is true that consuming breakfast offers various benefits, including cognitive advantages, no scientific evidence or medical consensus supports the claim that skipping breakfast can cause brain damage and increased risk of memory loss in the long run. Numerous studies have demonstrated that breakfast can enhance concentration, attention, and overall cognitive performance, particularly in school-aged children and adolescents. However, these studies do not conclusively link the absence of breakfast to any long-term cognitive deficits such as memory loss.

Hence, to claim that skipping breakfast can lead to brain damage and increased risk of memory loss in the long run is MISLEADING.

References

1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21455-amnesia
2. https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia
3. Peña-Jorquera H, Campos-Núñez V, Sadarangani KP, Ferrari G, Jorquera-Aguilera C, Cristi-Montero C. Breakfast: A Crucial Meal for Adolescents' Cognitive Performance According to Their Nutritional Status. The Cogni-Action Project. Nutrients. 2021 Apr 16;13(4):1320. doi: 10.3390/nu13041320. PMID: 33923639; PMCID: PMC8073030.
4. Kawabata M, Lee K, Choo HC, Burns SF. Breakfast and Exercise Improve Academic and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents. Nutrients. 2021 Apr 13;13(4):1278. doi: 10.3390/nu13041278. PMID: 33924598; PMCID: PMC8068805.
5. Zilberter T, Zilberter EY. Breakfast and cognition: sixteen effects in nine populations, no single recipe. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013 Oct 1;7:631. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00631. PMID: 24101899; PMCID: PMC3787246.
6. Chikama H, Kanaya R, Takeya Y, Toki H, Yamamoto R, Yamakawa M. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SKIPPING BREAKFAST AND DEMENTIA: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY IN OSAKA. Innov Aging. 2022 Dec 20;6(Suppl 1):606. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igac059.2261. PMCID: PMC9766599.
7. Ishizuka R, Otaki N, Tai Y, Yamagami Y, Tanaka K, Morikawa M, Iki M, Kurumatani N, Saeki K, Obayashi K. Breakfast Skipping and Declines in Cognitive Score Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study of the HEIJO-KYO Cohort. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2023 Jul;36(4):316-322. doi: 10.1177/08919887221135551. Epub 2022 Oct 20. PMID: 36265459.
8. Elias A, Padinjakara N, Lautenschlager NT. Effects of intermittent fasting on cognitive health and Alzheimer's disease. Nutr Rev. 2023 Aug 10;81(9):1225-1233. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuad021. PMID: 37043764; PMCID: PMC10413426.