Believe it or not, skipping breakfast can help reverse the aging process. A study published in the Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, found that long-term mild caloric restriction (10-15%) may lead to a longer lifespan and less age-related chronic diseases.
Some people even experience headaches, blood sugar dips, faintness and difficulty concentrating when they skip breakfast. Studies suggest that eating breakfast can also help keep blood sugar and blood pressure levels steady and improve cholesterol levels, provided you select healthy options (not pastries and donuts).
A study found that skipping meals may be linked to premature death. Researchers found that skipping breakfast is linked to an “increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.” A dietician weighs in on the findings and limitations of the study.
It's good for the health of your skin: Including nutrient-rich foods in your breakfast, like eggs, fruits and dairy products, can give you healthy skin, as these items are packed with protein, vitamins A and D, and the antioxidant lutein, which is known to help maintain skin's health.
Seems logical, right? But recent studies have found no difference in weight between those who skip their morning meal and those who don't. It is, however, well-documented that regular breakfast-eaters tend to have lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Myth #1: Eating Breakfast Jumpstarts Your Metabolism
But unfortunately, breakfast is not going to jumpstart your metabolism. In fact, this study, though small, found no difference in calories burned over 24 hours between people who ate or skipped breakfast.
A healthier heart.
Adults and kids who skip breakfast tend to have higher blood cholesterol levels—a risk factor for heart disease—than do breakfast eaters. Why? Breakfast-eating adults tend to get less fat and more fiber in their diets. Kids and teens who eat breakfast get more fiber, too.
The prevalence of always skipping breakfast among grade 10–12 students was fourfold that among grade 4–5 students (16.5% vs 4.2%), while prevalence of often skipping breakfast was more than double (26.2% vs 10.7%).
It can have anti-aging effects.
Believe it or not, skipping breakfast can help reverse the aging process. A study published in the Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, found that long-term mild caloric restriction (10-15%) may lead to a longer lifespan and less age-related chronic diseases.
People who skip their morning meal are more likely to have clogged arteries. Skipping breakfast is linked to other harmful habits which can leads to hypertension, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol which in turn increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes by 27%.
Skipping breakfast and other meals is one behavior studied as a factor influencing weight outcomes and dietary quality. Based on evidence that skipping breakfast reduces total daily caloric intake, some weight-loss recommendations include skipping breakfast (i.e., intermediate fasting) as one strategy to use.
Ideally, in order to keep your metabolism working smoothly, you should eat nutritional food every four hours, which is why it is so important to eat after 'fasting' all night. There are several studies that is in favour for eating breakfast for a healthy body function.
Those are just a few reasons why it's the most important meal of the day. Many studies have linked eating breakfast to good health, including better memory and concentration, lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, and lower chances of getting diabetes, heart disease, and being overweight.
The best time to have breakfast is within two hours of getting up. "The sooner you eat breakfast after you wake up, the better it is for your metabolism," says Larson. If you hit the gym in the AM, it's best to have a light meal like a banana or an avocado toast 20-30 minutes before workout.
Oatmeal + fruit + nut butter.
The best breakfasts have carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and fiber. In this combo, the oatmeal gives you complex carbs and fiber, keeps your blood sugar under control, and helps maintain an ideal balance of bacteria in your gut. The nut butter adds protein and healthy fats.
"Breakfast Is The Least Important Meal Of The Day" outlines a behavior-based weight-loss program based on a pilot study run by the author, a medical physician.
Breakfast is often described as the most important meal of the day, providing as it does sustenance and energy (i.e., calories) for whatever activities lay ahead. As nutritionist Adelle Davis famously put it back in the 1960s: “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” (Sifferlin, 2013).