In a discovery that will give nutritionists the shivers, a Japanese scientist has discovered that consuming ice cream for breakfast improves a person's alertness and mental performance. 

 

一位日本科学家的发现让营养学家们“不寒而栗”，他称，早餐摄入冰淇淋可以改善一个人的机敏度和思维表现。

 

Yoshihiko Koga, a professor at Tokyo's Kyorin University, has carried out a series of clinical trials in which test subjects were required to eat ice cream immediately after waking up. 

 

They were then put through a series of mental exercises on a computer.

 

Compared to a group that had not eaten ice cream, Prof Koga's subjects exhibited faster reaction times and better information-processing capabilities¹, the Excite News web site reported. 

 

Monitoring of the subjects' brain activity revealed an increase in high-frequency alpha waves, which are linked to elevated levels of alertness and reduced mental irritation². 

 

To examine the possibility that the test subjects' reactions were simply the result of the brain being shocked into higher levels of alertness by the low temperature of the ice cream, Prof Koga repeated the experiment with cold water instead of ice cream. 

 

Test subjects who drank cold water did display a degree of increased alertness and mental capacity, although the levels were markedly lower than among subjects who started the day with ice cream. 

 

Prof Koga is a specialist in psychophysiology, with his studies including looking into links between certain types of food and reduced stress. 

 

Another area of study is the connection between different foods and their impact on the ageing process. 

 

Prof Koga is continuing his research and has yet to determine a firm connection between the mental boost delivered by ice cream and a specific ingredient, while another explanation may lie in the sense that ice cream is a treat that triggers positive emotions and added energy.

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