The AEB Egg Nutrition Center has circulated the results of a trial conducted in China* involving 3,000 participants aged 55 to 93 with respect to their cognition over the period 1997 through 2015.  It was determined that a higher intake of protein and fat and a lower intake of carbohydrates at breakfast resulted in a slower rate of cognitive decline in the subjects.

Breakfast contributed 26 percent of total daily energy intake, 12.8 percent of protein, 11.5 percent of fat, and 75.7 percent of carbohydrates.  Substitution of five percent energy from carbohydrates with equivalent energy from protein or fat at breakfast was associated with an improved cognitive z-score.  The authors concluded that there was an inverse relationship between carbohydrate intake at breakfast with cognitive ability.

*Shang, X. et al. Energy and Macronutrient Intakes at Breakfast and Cognitive Declines in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A 9-Year Follow-Up Cohort Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 113:1093-1103 (2021).