The importance of breakfast..

At a friends’ wedding recently, I got talking to another guest about my current passion – nutrition! For the most part we were in agreement about healthy eating, but there was one rather substantial exception.  We had very different views on the importance of breakfast. I feel quite strongly about how significant a role breakfast plays in our overall wellbeing, but I’ll quantify that by saying I don’t mean the kind of breakfast that comes from a cardboard box.  The other guest was of the opinion, however, that we don’t necessarily need breakfast and that anyone he knows who doesn’t eat breakfast, himself included, tend to be slim and healthy.  So I’ve decided to look at some fact based evidence, in the hope of changing some minds about this vital meal – the one where we literally break our ‘fast’.

The practice of eating breakfast has been around since the Middle Ages so it is far from a new phenomenon.  Eating a nutritional breakfast is associated with healthier overall food intakes, body mass index and lifestyle.  Recent studies have shown that breakfast improves cognitive function, intuitive perception and academic performance.

Furthermore, the results from a 2013 study showed that irrelevant of gender, those eating breakfast at least five times a week had significantly lower body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat mass and percent body fat compared to infrequent breakfast eaters.  They also indicated that infrequent breakfast consumption is associated with higher body fat and abdominal obesity.  This was further emphasised by another study in Brazil, which found an association between breakfast intake and a decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke, and found seldom breakfast eaters to have an increased risk of obesity. 

Another study linked regular breakfast consumption with an increased IQ in pre-school children.  Findings showed that children who regularly have breakfast on a near-daily basis had significantly higher full scale, verbal and performance IQ test scores compared to children who “sometimes” have breakfast.

So, when it comes to breakfast, it is clear to see that the evidence is there to prove its importance, but it is worth noting that a nutritional breakfast is best.  If you’re pushed for time in the mornings, pre-soak some porridge oats in almond milk and fruit or grab a handful of fresh fruit or a pre-made green smoothie.  Where time allows, avocado on wholemeal toast with tomato and rocket is divine, or some almond butter on buckwheat pancakes is delicious.  Either way, it is worth giving at least some thought to this important meal. It really will set you up for the day.