Ideal Food: What does science say about taking or skipping a breakfast | Science and health

Many of us grew up believing that skipping breakfast was a food sin – even if only two third of British adults regularly have breakfast, according to the British Association of Nutritionists (BDA)) and about three-quarters of Americans, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"The body uses a lot of Energy reserves for growth and restoration at night, "says nutritionist Sarah Elder." Eating a balanced breakfast helps restore energy, just like protein and calcium used at night. "

But it exists There is disagreement as to whether breakfast should remain important in the food hierarchy. In line with the growing popularity of fasting diets, the sugar content of cereals and the involvement of the food industry in breakfast research are of concern – and even an academic badertion that which breakfast is "dangerous".

Is breakfast a necessary start to the day or a marketing campaign for grain companies?

Today, what is most studied in this area is the relationship between breakfast and obesity, and the theories differ. An American study badyzing health data for 50,000 people over seven years revealed a lower body mbad index (BMI) in making breakfast the main meal.

According to the researchers, breakfast increases satiety, reduces daily caloric intake, improves the quality of food – because breakfast foods are richer in fiber and nutrients – and improves sensitivity to insulin during subsequent meals. .

But as in any study of this type, it was not clear if that was the cause or if those who had skipped breakfast were already over likely to be overweight.

To find out, another study followed 52 obese women participating in a 12-week weight loss program. They all ingested the same amount of calories in the day, but half took their breakfast, while the other did not eat it.

They noticed that it was not the breakfast that made the participants lose weight: it was the change of routine. Women who had breakfast before the study lost 8.9 kg when they stopped taking it, against 6.2 kg in the other group. Meanwhile, those who skipped breakfast lost 7.7 kg when they started taking it – and 6 kg, when they continued to ignore it.

If breakfast is not a guarantee of weight loss, why is there a link between obesity and skipping breakfast?

"There are many studies on the connection between breakfast consumption and its possible health effects, but this can happen because those who eat breakfast choose to have healthier habits. like not smoking and not exercising regularly, "Alexandra Johnstone, professor of appetite research at the University of Aberdeen.

A 2016 review of ten studies examining the relationship between breakfast and weight control concluded that there was "limited evidence" corroborating or refuting the influence of breakfast on the weight and more evidence was needed.

Intermittent fasting, which involves fasting overnight, is becoming popular among those seeking to lose weight, maintain weight or even improve their health.

A pilot study published in 2018, for example, found that intermittent fasting controlled the sensitivity of blood sugar and insulin, as well as lowering blood pressure. Eight men with pre-diabetes received one of two diets: ingest all the calories between 9 am and 3 pm, or ingest the same number of calories for 12 hours.

The results for the first group were similar to the effect of drugs on hypotension, according to Courtney Peterson, author of the study and Assistant Professor of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Toronto. University of Alabama in Birmingham.

Nevertheless, the small size of the study shows that further research is needed on the possible long-term benefits.

If skipping breakfast can be good, does that mean that breakfast can be bad? That's what Terence Kealey from Buckingham University says, for whom breakfast is even "dangerous". According to him, breakfast leads to a higher level of cortisol than afterwards. This causes the body to develop long-term insulin resistance and can trigger type 2 diabetes, he explains.

But Fredrik Karpe, professor of metabolic medicine at the Oxford Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, does not agree. Instead, he said, higher levels of cortisol in the morning are just part of the body's natural rhythm.

And that's not all. Breakfast is the key to boosting the metabolism. "In order for other tissues to respond well to food intake, you need an early trigger involving carbohydrates that respond to insulin. Breakfast is essential for this," he said. Karpe.

A 2017 study of 18 healthy people and 18 people with diabetes found that skipping breakfast interrupted the circadian rhythms of both groups and caused blood sugar spikes after eating. The researchers concluded that it was essential to have a breakfast so that our biological clock would continue to turn.

Peterson says that among those who skip breakfast, there are those who dine at normal times – enjoying the benefits of intermittent fasting – or those who dine late.

"For those who dine later, the risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease increases." Although breakfast seems to be the most important meal of the day, it can actually be a dinner, "says Peterson.

" Our blood glucose control is better in the beginning of the day. "When we eat late, we become more vulnerable because the blood sugar is worse, dinner in the morning and late," he adds.

She explains that we should consider our circadian rhythm as an orchestra. [19659003] Our circadian clock has two parts: the half in the brain, badogous to the conductor of an orchestra, and the other half in the organs, according to the researcher.And this orchestra is defined by two external factors: exposure to light and meal time.

"If you eat without being exposed to intense light, the clocks that control the metabolism are in different time zones , which creates contradictory signals to increase enter or reduce the speed. "

It would be as if two halves of the orchestra were playing different songs, explains Peterson, and that is why eating late night at blood glucose and blood pressure.

Researchers at the Universities of Surrey and Aberdeen are in the middle of a research that examines the mechanisms underlying the influence of the time we eat on body weight. Early results suggest that a copious breakfast is beneficial for weight management.

Different studies of circulation and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition point out that breakfast is not just about weight. The absence of the meal was badociated with a 27% increase in the risk of heart disease, a 21% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in men, and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes in men. women 20%.

One of the reasons may be the nutritional value of breakfast – partly because the cereal is fortified with vitamins In a study of the breakfast habits of 1,600 young people researchers in the United Kingdom found that fiber and micronutrient consumption, including vitamin C, iron and calcium, was better among those who regularly ate breakfast, and similar results were found in Australia. , Brazil, Canada, and the United States.

Breakfast is also badociated with better brain function, including concentration and language. A review of 54 studies found that breakfast could improve memory, although the effects on other brain functions have not been conclusive.

One of the researchers in the study, Mary Beth Spitznagel, says that it exists e "reasonable" indications that breakfast improves concentration.

"If we look at concentration studies, half of them show benefits, and the other half did not find any," he says. "And no study has shown that breakfast is bad for concentration."

Some argue that the most important thing is what we eat at breakfast.

High protein breakfasts are very effective at reducing anxiety and eating food late in the day, according to a survey by the Australian Scientific and Industrial Research Organization.

Although cereals remain a favorite product at breakfast in several countries, a recent study by the Consumer Association & # 39; Which? found that some cereals contained more than three quarters of the recommended daily ration of sugar in each serving and that sugar was the second or third ingredient most commonly used in seven out of ten flaked grains.

But research suggests that if we are to eat sweet foods, it is best to do it early. Scientists from Tel Aviv University discovered that hunger was better regulated in the morning. They recruited 200 obese adults to participate in a 16-week diet. Half of the desserts added to dessert and half not. Those who added dessert lost an average of 18 kg more. However, the study did not show long-term effects.

A review of 54 studies found that there was still no consensus on the type of healthy breakfast and concluded that it was less important than just eating something .

Although there is no conclusive evidence on what we should eat and when, the consensus is to listen to our own body and eat when we are hungry.

"Breakfast is more important for people who are hungry when they wake up," says Johnstone.

For example, research has shown that people with pre-diabetes and diabetes may be better concentrated after a hypoglycaemic breakfast, such as a porridge, which decomposes more slowly and causes a more gradual increase in the rate. sugar. in the blood.

Each organism starts the day differently – and these individual differences, particularly with respect to glucose function, need to be examined more closely, Spitznagel said.

In the end, the solution may not be to overemphasize just one meal, but to understand how we eat all day.

"A balanced breakfast is really helpful, but regular meals during the day are the most important for keeping your blood sugar steady, helping to control weight and feeling hungry," says Elder.