Breakfast, to eat or not – have you ever spent a moment thinking about it? It’s better if the answer is no because you must never have to think over a meal.
Breakfast, in most cases, is always a must-have. It is the first meal of the day and keeps you running through the day. But let me make a little confession – during my college days, there have been more instances of me skipping the first meal than I would have liked to.
I would get up late, spend an hour in the bathroom, and then… well, you know the drill. But as wisdom dawned on me I got to understand better why the doctors put so much stress on eating breakfast without fail.
And here let me share with you all I know about the effects of skipping breakfast – positive and negative to help you attain those health goals.
TOP 10 Side Effects Of Skipping Breakfast
Here are some of the top reasons why you should never say NO to breakfast.
1. Causes Heart Problems:
According to a recent study published in JAMA, when men skip breakfast they increase their chances of suffering from a heart attack by 27% more than those who have breakfasts regularly.
Dr. Leah Cahill, strongly advises that having a healthy breakfast could reduce the risk of heart attacks. Avoiding breakfast also increases susceptibility to hypertension and leads to clogging of arteries. This, in turn, increases the risk of suffering from many chronic cardiovascular health conditions, like a stroke.
2. Increases The Risk Of Type-2 Diabetes:
A study conducted by Harvard University School of Public Health aimed to find a correlation between health and eating habits, concluded that the women who had the habit of skipping breakfast were always at an increased risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.
Women who took a few bites before going about their day were in a better state of health. The risk of suffering from Type 2 diabetes is 54% higher for working women who skipped breakfast.
3. Causes Weight Gain:
If you are one of those who is on a weight loss program and has taken to skipping breakfast, maybe you are not doing the best thing.
According to studies you are doing more harm to your ‘weight loss goal” than you know by skipping the first meal as hunger peps up our body’s craving for fatty and sugary foods.
Also, since the hunger pangs will get intensified gradually, you are more likely to end up consuming whatever comes your way all day. Higher the levels of your hunger, the more quantity of food shall you take in, exceeding the recommended daily calorie intake.
Skipping breakfast constantly will actually lead to weight gain instead of weight loss. As per a study called Physiological Behavior conducted in 1999, avoiding breakfast can also have negative effects on mood and energy. The British research team carried out this study on 144 healthy people who had undergone overnight fasting.
They were divided into three groups. The first group was given a moderate and healthy breakfast, the second group consumed only coffee, and the third group was given no breakfast. These people were then monitored for the next few hours.
It was revealed that the group which was not given breakfast projected the highest fatigue levels with really poor memory skills. There was, however, no significant difference in the other groups.
4. Increases Risk Of Cancer:
Skipping the first meal can make you overeat throughout the day. This, in turn, opens doors for increased occurrences of obesity. According to studies that were conducted by Cancer Research UK, it was concluded that obese and overweight people were at a higher risk of suffering from cancer.
5. Affects Cognitive Functioning:
Including breakfast in your routine helps you enjoy a healthier cognitive functioning.
When a group of teenagers, aged between 12 and 15 years were asked to have breakfast for some days and then observed again without having breakfast, the outcome was pretty interesting.
The teens, when eating breakfast, showcased higher scores in a visual search test. The scores were low while the group had been skipping breakfast.
6. Causes Migraines:
Hypoglycemia is a medical term indicating low levels of blood sugar. Avoiding major meals triggers an immense dip in blood sugar levels. This, in turn, triggers the release of hormones which compensate the low glucose levels.
But it also upsurges the blood pressure levels, which leads to headaches and migraines. This is exactly what happens when you start skipping breakfast as a habit.
You are consuming nothing for nearly 12 hours and it’s certainly meant to take a toll on your body. So fill your tummy in the morning with a power breakfast to kick-start your day.
7. Triggers Hair Loss:
One of the greatest side effects of skipping your first meal – and ladies for sure won’t like it – is hair loss. Your body needs protein to keep the keratin level up that in turn ensures healthy hair.
When you stay unfed for 12 hours, and then skip the breakfast and stay hungry for some more hours, the body craves for proteins, the lack of which immediately effects your hair. Your hair follicles will become weak, brittle, and dull if you are regularly giving your breakfast a miss.
8. Adversely Affects Your Metabolism:
A morning meal is critical for revving up the metabolism of our body. It’s basic math – or science, or common sense maybe? Your car doesn’t start without fuel, your laptop doesn’t start without having that battery all charged up.
So how do you expect yourself to function effectively and efficiently on an empty stomach? There you go! One of the most dangerous effects of not eating breakfast is that it makes you feel tired and low on energy.
9. Worsens Hangover:
A wholesome breakfast can help ward off all that tiredness that accompanies a hangover. A healthy breakfast that contains ample amount of folate, iron, vitamins, and minerals helps the body to make up for the lost nutrients.
It also kicks our energy levels many notches up. Just remember this, avoiding the morning meal could bring the sugar levels down and make the hangover worse.
It would also result in headaches and nausea. A tall glass of lemon water followed by a wholesome breakfast can kiss the hangover blues a quick goodbye.
These were the side effects of skipping breakfast which should be more than enough to dissuade you from skipping it – ever.
[su_spoiler title=”Sources” style=”fancy” icon=”chevron-circle”]IMG: BBC.co.uk
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