Most Important Meal of the Day: Does Eating Breakfast Really Make You Healthier?

As breakfast is typically considered the most important meal of the day, will skipping breakfast be bad for your health?

Breakfast Benefits

The word "breakfast" literally refers to breaking the fast. It serves as the day's first meal after not eating for a night. It was described as the most important meal of the day during the 1960s, after Adelle David, an American nutritionist, suggested that eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper was necessary to stay fit and avoid becoming obese.

Though a study revealed that 15% of 30,000 adults skipped breakfast on a regular basis, it is still widely believed to be the most important meal of the day.

Most of the said benefits that come with eating breakfast are taken from studies that are observational in nature. This means that a causal relationship cannot be proved.

For instance, a 2021 systematic review that covered 14 observational studies discovered that those who have breakfast all throughout the week have a lower risk for diabetes, heart disease, obesite, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, elevated LDL cholesterol, and cardiovascular-related death. However, the study does not prove that breakfast caused these reduced risks.

Nevertheless, a data analysis covering more than 30,000 North Americans reveals that those who skip breakfast may end up missing out on crucial nutrients. These people typically fell short of iron, folate, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and vitamin A.

On top of this, a 2017 randomized control trial, which covered 18 healthy individuals and 18 individuals with diabetes, discovered that skipping breakfast led to circadian rhythm disruptions among both groups. Those who skipped breakfast also experienced larger blood glucose spikes after they ate. With this, the researchers of the study argued that having breakfast is crucial to keep the body's internal clock working on time.

Does Eating Breakfast Make You Healthier?

Based on an observational study from 2018, those who regularly eat breakfast tend to be more cautious of their general nutrient intake, engage in physical activity, and manage stress adequately.

In contrast, those who skip breakfast regularly are more likely to have an unhealthy lifestyle, such as engaging in frequent drinking or smoking. These people also tend to have diets that are high in calories, cholesterol, and fat.

Such findings show that lifestyle habits can affect breakfast eaters' health status. It may not be eating breakfast per se that affects this.

Compensating For Skipping Breakfast

While breakfast is clearly an important meal, recent studies show that it may not actually be the most important meal of the day. Listening to hunger cues and having breakfast is crucial if one wakes up hungry. However, in cases where busyness strikes and one has to skip breakfast, feeling guilty is not necessary.

If one skips breakfast, it is crucial to ensure that nutrient intake is optimized in other meals.

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