People warned to stop skipping breakfast as study shows impact

Experts have urged people not to skip breakfast as a study has identified a worrying link between not eating it and an increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

The research, published in ScienceDirect, notes that skipping breakfast is often a highly debated topic thanks to its “potential health consequences across multiple domains”, but there are reasons to be concerned.

It reveals that “breakfast omission is linked to various adverse health effects” and that “evidence highlights associations with obesity and weight gain due to altered hormonal responses influencing hunger and energy balance.“

Not only that, but skipping the morning meal can negatively affect gut microbiota, contributing to systemic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. And it does not stop there.

The study further stresses that there are “potential links to increased cancer risk through inflammatory pathways” while cognitive decline, mood disorders and athletic performance are also impaired.

Listing yet more effects of skipping breakfast, it notes that it can exacerbate anxiety and depression by influencing neurotransmitter regulation. It can also impact general cognitive health and mood stability due to irregular meal patterns.

In its conclusion, the research notes that whilst skipping breakfast has gained popularity “for its potential metabolic benefits”, there is “emerging evidence” which “underscores its adverse health implications across various physiological and cognitive systems.”

The findings explain that the “systematic review highlights consistent associations between breakfast omission and increased appetite, insulin resistance, cardiovascular risk, obesity, gut microbiome dysbiosis, and systemic inflammation, which may contribute to an elevated risk of chronic diseases” and much more.

Breakfast plays an important part in our day

Those behind the study are not the only ones to wonder whether the first meal of the day can be skipped. According to Doctor Lopez-Jimenez at the Mayo Clinic: “Skipping breakfast, historically, hasn’t been something necessarily healthy.

“There are numerous studies showing that people who skip breakfast have an increased risk for heart disease and many other ailments.” He added that there is also evidence to suggest that heart attacks are more likely to happen in the morning.

He explained: “Part of it is the high adrenaline state that occurs early in the morning. If you match that with no food, no calories at all, what happens is that the body says, ‘Well, with no food, I could die from starvation, so I have to do some extra things.’

“And those extra things are basically crunching the glands that make adrenaline. And essentially, the body gets into this rush of adrenaline.”

Do you skip breakfast? If so, will you stop – or do you think it benefits you? Let us know in the comments.