You might have heard that breakfast is the most important meal for the day and wondered if it was true. Breakfast is literally breaking the fast. Breakfast is the first meal eaten after a long time of sleeping. It is believed that breakfast jumpstarts the metabolism.
Many adults regularly skip breakfast. Many people are busy and mornings tend to be the busiest part of the day. Breakfast is often overlooked, but it’s important to eat.
The Case for Eating Breakfast
Most of the studies on the benefits to eating breakfast are observational. The studies can’t conclude that the breakfast was responsible for the positive results. Participants had a variety of personal health histories that could have affected the results.
However, systematic reviews like this one can provide useful information about the benefits of eating breakfast regularly. This review showed that people who regularly eat breakfast are less likely than others to suffer from conditions like:
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Cardiovascular-related fatalities
- High blood pressure
- Elevated LDL Cholesterol
This was an observational study, so we can’t say for sure that those who ate breakfast were less likely to develop these diseases. This study does support the notion that eating breakfast is beneficial for your overall health.
A study of over 30,000 Americans found that those who regularly skip breakfast are more likely not to have essential vitamins and nutrients. A study that looked at people with and without type 2 diabetics found that skipping the breakfast disrupted circadian rhythms in both groups.
Conclusion
Even though skipping breakfast is not harmful per se, there can be negative effects. According to studies, those who skip breakfast have a higher risk of nutritional deficiencies and disruptions in circadian rhythm.
Observational research has also shown that those who skip breakfast regularly may be at greater risk of serious conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. The research shows that skipping breakfast is not dangerous, but you should always eat a healthy breakfast.
