How important is breakfast, really?
We’ve all heard the saying, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, but is it really? A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition seems to answer that question with a resounding “yes”.
People who regularly skip breakfast have a higher risk of obesity, and regularly eating breakfast is recommended as one of the strategies that may help people achieve (and maintain) a healthy body weight. Despite this advice, the proportion of people who report regularly consuming breakfast is declining.
This has coincided with the dramatic increase in overweight and obesity, though it is clearly not the only cause.
A number of studies have reported that regular breakfast eaters have a lower BMI (Body Mass Index- a measure of how overweight one is), and regular breakfast consumption is demonstrated by those who are successful at maintaining their weight loss. But it’s not at all clear if the link between eating breakfast and body weight is because of differences in total calorie intake for the day, or because of some other lifestyle factors that breakfast eaters happen to engage in (like perhaps, exercise, or eating a lower-carb diet, or getting more sleep).
In this study, the researchers wanted to see what the effect of eating breakfast—or skipping it– was on subsequent eating behavior. Specifically they wanted to see what happened at lunch. They also wanted to see what effect eating (or not eating) breakfast had on subjective appetite.
The researchers took 12 healthy men and put them in two different conditions. In one condition, they skipped breakfast; in the other they did not. Mid-morning, all men were given what’s called a “preload”, which is a mini-meal given before the main meal (lunch). The researchers figured- correctly—that many people snack mid-morning, so the preload was a kind of “stand-in” for the mid-morning snack.
The preload- in this case a whey protein based drink- was given to the men 2 ½ hours after the breakfast hour, whether they ate breakfast or not.
After the preload, the researchers measured blood sugar (glucose) and insulin levels in all the men. Both were higher in the no-breakfast condition than in the breakfast condition. “This suggests a degree of insulin resistance in response to the (liquid drink) following the omission of breakfast”, write the researchers. This is consistent with previous reports showing that longer periods between meals, prolonged periods of fasting and skipping breakfast all cause a degree of insulin resistance, something you definitely don’t want if you’re trying to lose weight
“When our participants omitted breakfast at a single occasion, they compensated for the “missed” (calories) by increasing (calorie) intake at lunchtime”, the researchers reported. In fact, the breakfast-eaters spontaneously consumed 17% less calories at a free-choice lunch than those who skipped breakfast, consistent with previous studies that report an increase in food intake following the omission of breakfast.
By the way, the mid-morning snack didn’t seem to make much difference in subjective ratings of hunger. Even after consuming the drink, those who skipped breakfast still reported higher feelings of hunger and a greater desire to eat than those who had eaten breakfast earlier. The non-breakfast eaters also reported lower feelings of fullness during the period between the mid-morning “snack” and actual lunch.
“In conclusion”, write the researchers, “missing breakfast causes metabolic and hormonal differences in the responses to foods consumed later in the morning as well as differences in subjective appetite and a compensatory increase in (calorie) intake”.
Bottom line: don’t skip breakfast. And the best kind to have is one that’s high in protein. If you want to cut back on calories, lose the potatoes and toast, but keep the eggs!
And if you simply can’t get up your appetite in the morning, try drinking your breakfast. Whey protein powder– which has been found in a number of studies to help with immunity, appetite control and weight loss- is a terrific choice. You can add some frozen berries (like I do), some flaxseed for fiber, and use water, almond milk or another liquid of your choice. It’s delicious, takes all of two minutes to make, and will satisfy for hours.
[…] Eat breakfast to lose weight. […]