The more varied the breakfast, the better for the health

Adding a piece of fruit or a cup of milk to a teen's breakfast will keep them from getting depressed, anxious and unresponsive.

A study of 800 students in Australia found a comprehensive breakfast that will directly affect the mental health of young people, regardless of family income, weight and daily exercise.

Students who eat more breakfast foods will score higher on the behavioral test, in which one extra food will be boosted by one.

"Regardless of what it is, just a little different like a banana next to a cereal will make that meal more vitamin and mineral," said lead researcher Therese O'Sullivan at Perth Children's Research Institute said.

(Photo: bbscafe.com.au)

The group recruited 14-year-old girls and boys and analyzed their breakfast for 3 days. They found that only 1 in 4 children had a high-quality meal, consisting of 3 or more of 5 food groups: cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products, and substitutes like beans, peanuts and eggs.

"Most people only eat two types of food, the rest only eat one or even nothing," O'Sullivan commented.

The results are compared to the behavioral scale in the questionnaire that their parents answered. "For each type of supplemented food, their mental health status increases, regardless of family income, exercise or weight."

The cause may be because nerve activity is affected by the consumption of nutrients. Cereals and milk are especially rich in calcium, iron and vitamin B, supporting neurological transitions, directly affecting behavior and mood.

The group concluded: "Breakfast is the most important way for children to fully absorb the minerals and vitamins needed for brain activity."