How many times have you heard the advice that it is bad to skip breakfast? A new study shows that skipping breakfast may be harming your heart. Breakfast skipping may lead to higher blood pressure and accumulation of an assortment of fats in the body. People often skip breakfast so that they would not get many calories. Surprise, surprise.Skipping breakfast leads to make-up meals later in the day and actually defeats the purpose of skipping breakfast in order to cut down on calorie intake. So not only you are pushing your metabolism to the wall, you actually make your heart weaker. Here are some insights on the new study and how you can plan your meals for the better. 

What is the study all about?

A study conducted by researchers from Harvard University revealed that there are about 27,000 health records of men, health professionals that were aged from 42 to 82 years old. The study tried to take a look at the lifestyles of the subjects including the skipping breakfast for the duration of the study that lasted for 16 years. The study discovered that men that skipped breakfast were 27 percent likely to develop a heart ailment such as coronary heart disease. 

What is the profile of the affected people?

The men that are likely to skip breakfast are single, smoke cigarettes, works full-time and are less physically active. A control of these factors plus other heart disease related factors which included alcohol use, diet, TV watching habit and regular doctor visits did reduce the risks but the risks were not completely removed. Interestingly, the number of times that men ate per day has nothing to do with the heart risk.

 Why is it that skipping breakfast is bad?

The study’s author told Forbes that skipping breakfast has been linked to the rising cases of coronary heart disease. The prolonged fasting due to breakfast skipping increases the blood pressure and increases the insulin levels in the blood. It is also noted that skipping breakfast leads to the rise of bad cholesterol in the blood and the corresponding lower levels of good cholesterol. It is not a coincidence that these indicators are the leading risk factors that can lead to heart disease. 

Why fasting can be bad?

Fasting per se causes stress to the body. People that are suffering from anxiety symptoms are often advised not to do a lot of fasting. The prolonged state of not getting nourishment extends the stress and can be amplified at times. As people sleep for eight hours there is no way to get some food until people wake up in the morning. The first meal of the day is done to break the fast. This is done to prevent insulin resistance and hypercholesterolemia that can lead to heart problems down the road. 

Are females in danger too?

A study that was published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that women that skipped breakfast at least once a week are 20 percent prone to develop type 2 diabetes.Women who ate breakfast regularly upon waking up have better chances of avoiding insulin resistance that is a pre-cursor to diabetes. The study looked at records of 2,000 women that were diagnosed free of any heart or metabolic disease. The eating patterns were studied over a six year period. The women that skipped breakfast had the tendency to eat more times a day. However, having a low body mass index seems to mitigate the harm and the risks of developing diabetes. The lesson of the study is that if you are going to skip breakfast, make sure that you eat healthier food and exercise to control the weight. 

What are other effects of skipping breakfast?

Diabetes and heart ailments are not the only things that can develop and cause havoc to your health when you frequently skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast can alter the mood and more likely to cause anxiety symptoms. It can also impact energy levels and memory based on a 1999 study conducted by a team of British researchers. 

The writing is clear on the wall. It is time to address the proverbial elephant in the room. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, period. But don’t just stuff anything in your mouth. There is still this thing called healthy eating. Make sure that you have regular access to healthy and nourishing food and less of the fats, sugar and salty fare that can also cause health problems down the road.

About the Author:

Ryan Rivera is an advocate of healthy eating habits.  This is one of the many effective tips that he provides to his readers when writing anxiety related articles.  Please visit his calm clinic account for more helpful information.

Image credit:  Shermeee on Flickr