Is skipping breakfast bad for your health?

Ever heard the phrase, ‘Go to work on an egg’? Still bandied around today, it encouraged people to eat a cooked breakfast each morning – and made us believe that breakfast was key. But, far from being based on science or nutrition, it was a marketing slogan dreamt up by the UK Egg Marketing Board in the 1950s to encourage people to eat more eggs.

Other notable concepts such as breakfast being the ‘most important meal of the day’ and ‘breakfast like a king’ are also common currency – but how much of it is true?

Is it OK to skip breakfast?

These days, skipping breakfast is commonplace. The rise in popularity of intermittent fasting, such as the 16:8 plan where people eat only during an eight-hour window, has seen many people foregoing their morning meal in the hope of losing a few pounds. According to a YouGov survey, 13 per cent of adults never eat breakfast.

Others, however, swear by their morning meal, and you only have to look at the rising popularity in shakes, smoothies and nuts and seeds toppers for bowls of yogurt or overnight oats to see how big the market for breakfast actually is.

‘Having a meal at some point in the morning is important, but it is personal preference what time this takes place,’ says specialist dietitian Clare Thornton-Wood. ‘The name literally means “break fast”. What the meal contains, rather than the timing, is more important. Some people might prefer a later, more substantial breakfast, while others want to eat immediately when they wake up.”

What happens when you skip breakfast?

For some people, missing breakfast is no big deal – they just don't feel hungry first thing, and it can help them get up and out quicker in the mornings. But if you’re used to starting the day with some food and a cuppa, going without can feel odd. Not only is it part of your morning routine, but your body is used to being refuelled, so chances are you’ll probably feel hungry and a bit light-headed without your regular glucose blast.

Inside your body, there’s a lot going on. Intermittent fasting, such as skipping breakfast, can cause changes in your body’s hormone levels. It can decrease insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity, which is beneficial for weight loss overall and reduces your risk of diabetes.

But one study found that skipping breakfast and late meal consumption decreased the hormone leptin (that helps you feel full), while increasing the hunger hormone ghrelin.

Cutting out breakfast can also raise your levels of the stress hormone cortisol. What’s more, it significantly raises your levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol, according to various studies, and those who skip breakfast are 21% more likely to experience cardiovascular disease.

‘The impact is not the same for everyone, but skipping breakfast can lead to low energy levels and impaired cognitive function – or “brain fog”’, explains Clare. ‘This is due to low blood sugars, as the body does not have a ready source of energy. Glycogen, which is stored around the liver and in muscles, sustains us during periods of fasting overnight. However, this is generally depleted by the morning, and the body has to use its own tissues to provide energy, which is less efficient. The brain needs a constant source of carbohydrate to function at its peak.’

Will skipping breakfast lead to weight loss?

It depends which studies you read, but yes, apparently so. According to a recent scientific review, people who went without breakfast lost an average of 0.66kg of weight compared with those who didn’t. And other studies show that those who eat breakfast consume around 260 calories more per day than those who don’t. However, it can also disrupt your metabolism and your gut microbiome, the ecosystem of microbes that live in your intestines.

Missing breakfast does not necessarily mean you will consume fewer calories, or that the rest of your meals will be balanced and provide all the nutrients you need, says Clare. ‘It can lead to snacking due to increased hunger,’ she adds. ‘A better plan is to eat intuitively – listening to your hunger cues and eating when you are hungry, whatever time that is.’

What is the first thing you should eat after skipping breakfast?

Breakfast is the ideal opportunity to add fruit and veg to your diet to ensure you’re getting at least five a day, so if you’re missing it then you’ll have more to make up later in the day. You’ll also miss out on calcium from milk if you’re a cereal-lover, as well as vitamins and minerals.

Steer clear of fatty, sugary foods, and don’t be temped to opt for an energy drink to pep you up. Wholegrain foods, nuts and seeds can help give you a sustainable energy boost, while low-fat live yogurt is easy on the stomach.

‘Breakfast should be balanced and contain carbohydrate, fibre, protein and some fruit or veg,’ says Clare. ‘Suitable choices might be egg on wholegrain toast with some grilled tomatoes, or wholegrain unsweetened cereal with Greek yogurt, seeds and fruit.’

So, while skipping breakfast is on-trend in some circles, there’s plenty of reasons why you should stick with your brekkie.

So what does Clare think overall? ‘I would not recommend skipping breakfast,’ she says. ‘There are studies showing some benefits, but equally there are some showing the opposite.’

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source https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/health/is-skipping-breakfast-bad-for-your-health