It seems that mom was right when she said to eat breakfast. Scientists from China conducted a large-scale analysis, collecting data from 10 studies involving more than 113,000 people, and came to an interesting conclusion: the habit of skipping the morning meal may not be so harmless. The results are published in the journal Nutrients.
What exactly did they find out?
People who regularly skip breakfast have a 21% higher risk of developing the so-called “metabolic syndrome.” Simply put, it's not one disease, but a whole set of alarm signals from the body: excess belly fat, elevated sugar and “bad” fats in the blood. All this is a direct path to type 2 diabetes and heart problems in the future.
Specifically, the study showed that skipping breakfast is associated with:
- +19% to the risk of a “lifebuoy” appearing on the waist;
- +17% to the risk of increased blood sugar levels;
- +10% to the risk of lowering the level of “good” cholesterol, which cleans our blood vessels.
Interesting fact: scientists have not found a clear link between skipping breakfast and high blood pressure.
But there is an important “but”: it is a connection, not a sentence.
The scientists emphasize that their study shows a correlation, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship. What does this mean? It may not just be about breakfast itself. People who skip breakfast may lead a less healthy lifestyle overall: sleep less, stress more, or eat junk food late at night.
What conclusion can be drawn?
No one is saying that skipping breakfast will instantly ruin your health. But this study is a strong argument in favor of taking your morning meal more seriously.
Eating breakfast regularly helps kick-start your metabolism for the day and can be a simple and beneficial habit for preventing serious diseases. So maybe you should find 15 minutes for oatmeal or an omelet?
