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Topics: Food and Drink, Health, Science, Advice
Gregory Robinson
Thinking about ditching breakfast? Think again.
Scientists have explained why we shouldn’t skip the first meal of the day.
It is often called the most important meal of the day for a number of health reasons, however, experts have said the healthiest option is to be mindful of how you eat all day long.
After fasting overnight while sleeping, your first meal of the day — which is typically eaten in the early morning — may help you feel more alert and energetic by replenishing your glucose levels.
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However, many of us are very busy, with work, education, family commitments and commuting and it can be very easy to skip the first meal of the day.
A Spanish study on the role breakfast plays in our daily health found that skipping breakfast is a bad idea.
The study was published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging last month and the scientists compared the diet and health metrics of 383 adults aged 55-75 at a hospital in Barcelona.
All the participants were overweight and had metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
They were all put on a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and whole grains to help them lose weight. The participants’ breakfast calorie intake was tracked by the scientists at the start of the study, two years into the study, and one last time three years into the study, which marked its conclusion.
Those who ate too much or too little for breakfast had between a 2 to 3.5% higher BMI than those who ate the ideal serving.
Blood tests also showed that those who ate too little and those who ate too much at breakfast had higher levels of fat in their blood, which is considered a risk factor for heart disease.
Scientists suggested those who ate breakfast felt fuller during the day and snacked less and therefore consumed fewer calories overall.
Professor Álvaro Hernáez, one of the study’s authors, said: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what and how you eat it matters.
“Eating controlled amounts—not too much or too little—and ensuring good nutritional composition is crucial.
“Our data show that quality is associated with better cardiovascular risk factor outcomes. It's as important to have breakfast as it is to have a quality one.”
The recommended daily calorie intake for the average person is: 2,500kcal for men and 2,000kcal for women. This means calories for breakfast should be between 500-750kcal for men and 400-600kcal for women.