Need to use your brain today? Then eat something

by Shayna Glick, Posted Jun 10th 2008 @ 6:29PM

Open faced burger on a plate with potato wedges and salad.

Your mother always told you the breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but it turns out they all are. According to researchers in England, you make the best decisions on a full stomach.

This article in the Telegraph Online explains the tests that researchers put subjects to in order to get the results. Serotonin is a chemical the brain produces to make us feel good, but it is dependent on tryptophan (an amino acid we can only get through ingesting food). Turns out that you need to eat to make serotonin, so the best advice is to eat before you need to make big decisions.

Serotonin is also linked to cranky and aggressive behavior. If you have low serotonin levels, you'll probably be a little cranky. That means you should also eat if you need to stay in a good mood. I'm sure no one is suggesting that you gorge yourself constantly, but if you feel hungry then eating something could help. It would at least help prevent any afternoon office fights.

Filed Under: Newspapers, Health & Medical
Tags: fullstomach, serotonin, tryptophan

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-13-2008 @12:01AM Villarreal said... Something important that you missed to mention is that high levels of serotonin will cause you to feel drowsy, so it's not recommended to eat too much before something where you have to be concentrated.
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