Diary Based Diet Helps Boost Concentration: Study Finds - Video

A recent randomized control crossover study in the Journal of Dairy Science, published by Elsevier, demonstrates that a dairy-based, protein-rich breakfast not only keeps you fuller compared with a carbohydrate-rich meal or skipping breakfast entirely it also helps boost concentration in the critical first hours of the day.

Dr. Hansen, study’s lead investigator, and her team set out a randomized trial following 30 young women for three test days separated by at least two days. The day before each test the women’s physical activity levels and diets were standardized. The participants, aged 18 to 30, had body mass index (BMI) scores higher than 25, classifying them as overweight to obese.

During the study the participants either consumed a protein-rich breakfast of skyr yogurt and oats or a low-protein, high-carbohydrate meal of whole grain bread with raspberry jam and apple juice. Both meals had matching energy content and density and the same amount of dietary fiber and fat. The control group skipped breakfast entirely.

After breakfast, the team calculated the energy intake of participants at lunch and throughout the rest of the day and rated their appetite between meals. Blood samples were taken between breakfast and lunch to test for appetite-regulating gut hormones, insulin, and glucose. Finally, the team measured the participants’ performance in a concentration test two-and-a-half hours after breakfast.

The study results revealed that the young women participating felt more satiated and less hungry after a dairy-based, high-protein, low-carbohydrate breakfast compared with a low-protein, high-carbohydrate breakfast or no breakfast. “However, this was not translated significantly to their gut hormones or overall calorie intake for the day,” added Dr. Hansen, “suggesting that a high-protein breakfast might not be a weight-loss solution on its own.”

Interestingly, the breakfast choices affected cognition. After eating the high-protein yogurt, participants showed a boost in their concentration test scores compared with those who skipped breakfast. This cognitive improvement was not seen in those who ate toast with jam and juice.

Reference: A dairy-based, protein-rich breakfast enhances satiety and cognitive concentration before lunch in overweight to obese young females: A randomized controlled crossover study, Dalgaard, L.B. et al., Journal of Dairy Science, Volume 107, Issue 5, 2653 – 2667

DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24152