In this article: Oatmeal with Apples and Nuts Tips on making breakfast better

dd this to the list of life's universal rules: Everyone needs to eat breakfast. Six reasons:

Boosts memory. Although some foods are better than others, "eating anything in the morning is better than eating nothing," says British authority David Benton, M.D., of the University of Wales-Swansea. Several studies show eating virtually any type of breakfast improves memory and learning. For example, college students who ate a breakfast of their choice (generally cereal and milk, toast, preserves and butter or margarine) scored 22% higher in a word-recall test, compared with those who skipped breakfast. One reason: Breakfast boosts blood sugar needed to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, important for memory. It's true for everyone, says Benton, from children to the elderly: Breakfast jump-starts your brain in the morning.

Improves behavior and grades. In a new study of hundreds of children, Harvard University researcher J. Michael Murphy documented that those who ate breakfast had 40% higher math grades and better school attendance. Further, kids who skipped breakfast were twice as apt to be depressed, four times more prone to anxiety and 30% more likely to be hyperactive. When such youngsters who "rarely" ate breakfast switched to "often" eating breakfast, their math grades soared - up on average from a C to a B - and they became less hyperactive, depressed and anxious.

Controls weight. Breakfast eaters generally are thinner than breakfast skippers, research shows. Exception: A "high-glycemic-index" breakfast (consisting of foods that cause a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar) could induce later overeating. New Tufts University research found that overweight boys who ate a high-glycemic-index breakfast - instant oatmeal with milk and sugar - loaded on 81% more calories at the next opportunity than those who ate a low-glycemic breakfast of a vegetable omelet and fruit. What are high-glycemic-index foods? Most cereals, but larger-particle cereals that require longer cooking generally have a lower index, says Tufts researcher Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D. Example: "Steel-cut" Irish oats you cook for 20 minutes have a lower glycemic index than instant oats, "quick-cooking oats" or Cream of Wheat.

Provides fiber and vitamins. Breakfast eaters take in more nutrients, particularly calcium, iron, zinc and B vitamins, as well as fiber, says Christine Williams, M.D., cardiovascular and obesity specialist at Columbia

University. Kids who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight, she says. Good bets: whole-wheat bread and high-fiber cereals, such as regular cooked oatmeal, oat bran, All Bran or shredded wheat, with fat-free or low-fat milk. Recent studies also found that cold cereals fortified with 400 micrograms of folic acid help curb homocysteine, a blood factor that boosts the risk of heart disease and strokes.

Reduces the risk of heart attack. Your blood tends to get sticky and is apt to clot right after you wake up. Eating breakfast tends to "unstick" it, say researchers at Canada's Memorial University of Newfoundland. They found that skipping breakfast tripled clot-forming potential and the risk of morning heart attacks and strokes.

Provides a caffeine lift. The morning coffee ritual makes most people more alert, quicker to react, less grumpy and more adept at certain mental tasks. The main reason: Regular users who don't get their morning caffeine "fix" suffer from withdrawal - headache, irritability, fuzzy brain, fatigue and mild depression. One small cup of coffee (100 milligrams of caffeine) usually is enough to please the brain, research shows. Even a morning cup of strong tea (60mg caffeine) speeds up mental functioning, says new British research. If you want to kick caffeine, do it gradually. Avoid caffeine if you are anxious or suffer from panic attacks or sleep problems.

2 cups raw oatmeal (not instant; preferably "steel-cut" or "old-fashioned")

2 medium apples, diced

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
or almonds

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbs. maple syrup or honey

2 cups fat-free milk or soy milk

Cook oatmeal per package directions. Stir in apples, most of the nuts, cinnamon, and syrup or honey. Put equal portions in four bowls; top with milk and remaining nuts.

Serves: 4 Per serving: 363 calories, 13g protein, 12.3g fat (1.4g saturated), 53g carbohydrates, 6.4g fiber, 68mg sodium.

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TIPS

Make breakfast better

Add antioxidants. Antioxidants fight disease and aging at the cell level. Substitute antioxidant-rich tea for coffee; top waffles and pancakes with fruit instead of syrup; top cereal with fruit and nuts.

Add soy. ItÕs linked to lower cancer rates. Use soy milk on cereal. Substitute soy-based ÒsausageÓ and ÒbaconÓ for meat.

Decrease fat. Saturated animal fat is linked to many diseases. To lower the risk at breakfast, use low-fat or fat-free milk and other dairy products. Poach or boil eggs instead of frying.

Sources for this article

Boosts memory
Benton D., Am J Clin Nutr 1998; 67 (suppl): 772S-8S Improves behavior and grades Murphy, J. Michael, et al. The relationship of school breakfast to psychosocial and academic functioning, Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 1998; 152:899-907

Controls weight
Ludwig, David S. Pediatrics, 103(3):26

Reduces heart attacks
Dr. Renata Cifkova, abstract, reported in Food Your Miracle Medicine, 1993 by Jean Carper, page 82

Provides a caffeine lift
Garrett BE, Griffiths RR., Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1997 Jul; 57(3): 533-41 Durlach PJ, The effects of a low dose of caffeine on cognitive performance, Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1998 Nov; 140 (1): 116- 9