List Of Effects Of Eating A Healthy Breakfast

If you're used to skipping breakfast, you might want to reconsider. It turns out there are some convincing reasons why breakfast is dubbed the "most important meal of the day," such as giving your metabolism a jump-start in the mornings and providing you with energy to get through your day. However, not all breakfast foods are created equal.

Improved Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin sensitivity means that your body needs low or normal levels of insulin to break down blood glucose. However, if you have insulin insensitivity, your pancreas produces too much insulin to regulate blood glucose, which can lead to several health problems including type two diabetes. In one study researchers from the University of Nottingham in England found that skipping breakfast impaired insulin sensitivity in 10 healthy, lean women.

Appetite Control

Eating a healthy breakfast can help to control your appetite, which is especially important if you're trying to lose weight. In particular, a breakfast with a low glycemic index, which consists of foods that do not rapidly increase blood sugar levels when metabolized, boosts levels of the hormone, glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, according to the researchers from Kings College London. In their study, GLP-1 levels in participants who ate a low-glycemic index breakfast was 20 percent higher than those who consumed high-glycemic foods for breakfast. Examples of low-GI breakfast foods include oatmeal, fruits, whole-grain cereals and breads and dairy products.

Weight Loss

Skipping breakfast can increase your risk of becoming obese. However, the results of a study published in Nutrition Journal may be confusing if you're trying to assess the role breakfast plays in weight loss. According to the researchers, a large breakfast doesn't reduce calorie intake later in the day. But, they add that consuming fewer calories at breakfast can reduce your overall daily calorie intake. The findings of this study provide food for thought, but keep in mind that the study did not look at the types of foods consumed at breakfast and there's a wealth of evidence on the benefits of eating breakfast and losing or maintaining weight. A safe bet is to stick to healthy breakfast options such as whole grains, eggs, fruits, vegetables and lean dairy and to mind your portion sizes.

Better Academic Performance

In the United States and other industrialized countries, children commonly skip breakfast, which affects their academic, cognitive, health and mental health performance. Breakfast provides important nutrients your child needs; nutrients they will not make up throughout the rest of day during other meals. Carbohydrates at breakfast are particularly beneficial because they break down into glucose, which is the main source of fuel for your brain. A good breakfast can improve attention and short-term and long-term memory.