Smart People Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast, Says Only Study That Matters

I LOVE YOU, SCIENCE.

Sometimes if I was extra good as a kid, my mom gave me a side of ice cream with my breakfast cereal. To this day, I argue that everything tastes better with ice cream. Turns out, that’s probably why I’m such a smart (ha) and responsible (lolz) adult—because according to science, eating ice cream for breakfast makes people more intelligent.

The study was conducted by Yoshihiko Koga at Kyorin University in Tokyo. He had participants eat three spoonfuls of ice cream first thing in the morning and then complete several brain exercises on a computer. People who ate ice cream before doing the exercises not only had quicker reaction times, but also processed information better than those who hadn’t consumed ice cream. Koga also recorded participants’ brain waves, noting an increase in alpha waves (which boost creativity, concentration and mental coordination) in the ice-cream-eating group.

If you assume the cold factor has something to do with boosting brain function, get this: The experiment was also replicated with cold water instead of ice cream. Lo and behold, the effects of cold water weren’t nearly as significant.

Buuuuuut before you go scooping bowls of ice cream for breakfast, it should be noted that eating, well, something (not just ice cream) might have an effect on how our brains function. We’ve all been reminded by health textbooks that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and there is truth to that statement—it raises the body’s energy and promotes weight maintenance and loss by restoring blood glucose levels to normal after overnight fasting.

However, it’s good to know that whether you’re slurping down a kale smoothie or Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food, eating something (whether it’s nutritious or not) will make you an intelligent, functioning adult. Now bring on the sugary cereal and ice cream, please.