🥚 How protein-rich breakfast improves focus (and helps with hunger)

A short study has explored the link between diet and cognitive function.

It tested if a protein rich breakfast, consisting of oats and skyr (scandinavian style fat-free yoghurt), had any effect on concentration versus high-carb or no breakfast.

Not surprisingly, a protein-rich breakfast increased satiety and improved concentration.

Interestingly, his was still true even if the protein-rich breakfast had the same calorie as the other types of breakfasts.

Keep in mind, this was a short term study in women only, but it reinforces the importance of food quality and not just calories.

🥊 Punchline

If you struggle with cravings mid morning and can’t wait until lunch time, having a protein-rich breakfast may be the way to go.

🍪 How to snack without sabotaging your diet

25% of food intake in the UK comes from snacks. Sadly, most snacks are low quality.

If not well thought off, unhealthy snack may undo the benefits of healthy meals.

Low-quality snacks (e.g. cookies, cereal bars) were associated with higher blood sugars, blood fats, fasting insulin and greater levels of hunger. Not a great sign of overall health!

Interestingly, snacking more often had no negative effect on blood parameters. But it increased daily food intake and weight gain, even if the snacks were of high quality (e.g. fruit).

Worst of all, late snacking was associated with negative health outcomes because the overnight fasting time is shortened (essential for the gut to repair and reset).

🥊 Punchline

Snacking can significantly impact diet quality and health. For those who enjoy snacking, the best recommendations are: avoid late-night snacking, prioritise minimally processed snacks and snack less frequently.

🥤 Microplastics make their way from the gut to other organs

We swallow 5 grams of microplastic particles each week on average.

But microplastic doesn’t stay in our gut. It makes its way into the kidney, liver and brain.

By observing mice exposed to microplastics for 4 weeks, researchers found that microplastics interact with our immune cells, leading to inflammation in the gut.

And it is this inflammation that favours migration of microplastics to other organs.

The full mechanism behind this is still unknown, so expect more research to come.

🥊 Punchline

We are beginning to understand how microplastic from food and water affects our body. For now, we know that microplastics finds its way to other organs from the gut.