By Gina Beretta; Photography by Unsplash

Finally, a legit excuse to eat ice cream!

A recent study conducted by Japanese professor Yoshihiko Koga from Kyorin University in Tokyo, found that people who consumed the sweet treat for breakfast got a mental boost.

For the clinical trial, the participants had to complete several tests on a computer. Those who had the ice cold treat upon waking had faster reaction times carrying out mental tasks than those who hadn’t eaten ice cream, according to the report on the Daily Mail. Scientists could not believe the results (hey, we don’t blame them), so they decided to repeat the test using cold water to see if it was because of the temperature.

The second set of results showed that the subjects who drank the water also achieved a better result than those who didn’t, although it was nowhere near as effective as the ice cream was in the first test. Hmm, curious.

Professor Yoshihko is still trying to figure out which ingredient was key in boosting the participants brain power. Researchers have suggested that the glucose levels in the ice cream could be the contributing factor (glucose is an essential component to the functioning of your brain). Yoshihko admits that the effect on the brain may however be purely psychological, because after all, eating ice cream does make you happy.

So does this mean we no longer have to feel guilty about indulging in a scoop (or two)? Well, eating ice cream for breakfast is definitely something we can get behind, but we’re not sure our waistlines would agree. So, if you really want to start your day with a hit of the sweet treat, we suggest making this homemade ‘nice cream’ recipe instead. It’s got the same consistency as ice cream, but about half the kilojoules. Score!

Looking for more? Well, breakfast is the most important meal of the day so here are six tips that’ll help you ace your a.m., plus here’s a guilt-free popsicle recipe that’ll help you beat the summer heat.