It’s often referred to as the ‘most important meal of the day’, and now a new study has shown the importance of eating breakfast when it comes to taking exams.
Researchers from the University of Leeds have found a link between eating breakfast and GCSE performance for students in the UK.
The team found that students who said they rarely ate breakfast achieved nearly two grades lower than those who ate breakfast every day.
Dr Katie Adolphus, who led the study, said: “Our study suggests that secondary school students are at a disadvantage if they are not getting a morning meal to fuel their brains for the start of the school day.
"The UK has a growing problem of food poverty, with an estimated half a million children arriving at school each day too hungry to learn. Previously we have shown that eating breakfast has a positive impact on children's cognition.
"This research suggests that poor nutrition is associated with worse results at school."
In the study, the researchers surveyed 294 students about their eating habits, and compared the results to their GCSE results.
The results revealed that 29% rarely or never ate breakfast on schooldays, while 18% ate breakfast occasionally, and 53% frequently.
Worryingly, those who rarely ate breakfast scored an average of nearly two grades lower than those who ate breakfast frequently.
While the reason for this link remains unclear, the researchers hope their findings will highlight the impact that breakfast can have on your exam results.
Nicola Dolton, Programme Manager for the National School Breakfast Programme, said: “This report provides impressive evidence that eating a healthy breakfast improves a child's educational attainment, which supports our own findings of improvements in a child's concentration in class, readiness to learn, behaviour and punctuality."
