Breakfast IS NOT the most important meal of the day, according to experts who believe it’s one of the biggest nutrition myths

Known as the most important meal of the day, breakfast has been praised for its numerous health benefits.

By eating a balanced meal first – such as oatmeal, eggs or yogurt with granola – you don’t graze unnecessarily, research shows.

Meanwhile, dozens of studies have shown that skipping meals is primarily associated with a higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

However, nutritionists have now shattered the mantra that breakfast is the “best possible start” to the day. In fact, cutting out sugar reduces sugar intake, reduces hunger and relieves fatigue, they say.

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?

Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS

• Eat at least five portions of different fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count

• Alkaline meals based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably whole grains

• Thirty grams of fiber per day. This is equivalent to eating all of the following: five servings of fruit and vegetables, two whole grain granola cookies, two thick slices of whole grain bread, and one large baked potato with the skin on

• If you have some dairy products or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks), choose lower fat, lower sugar options

• Eat beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including two portions of fish per week, one of which is fatty).

• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small amounts

• Drink six to eight cups/glasses of water daily

• Adults should consume less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men per day

Source: NHS Eatwell Guide

Research is divided on whether people eat breakfast or not.

A plethora of observational studies—which cannot confirm a direct link—suggest that those who eat breakfast are more likely to be thin.

Some proponents of the breakfast theory believe it is because people who eat have more energy to be active during the day.

They also stay full longer, making them less likely to snack and support healthy food choices throughout the day, researchers say.

Studies have also linked skipping breakfast to a higher risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure. Experts do not yet understand the mechanism behind this.

The NHS is urging people to skip breakfast as one of eight ‘healthy eating tips’ – warning it contains essential nutrients.

However, a 2019 review of nearly a dozen studies published in the British Medical Journal cast doubt on the health benefits of breakfast, finding that skipping breakfast had no effect on weight.

And a growing body of research has shown that not eating early in the morning can actually help you lose weight—when done eating within an eight- to 12-hour window.

Research has found that eating all meals within eight to 12 hours — and fasting for the remaining 16 to 12 hours of the day — can help people lose weight by limiting snacking and late-night eating.

DR Federica Amati, a nutritionist at ZOE – a health research company that offers personalized nutrition advice based on home tests – told MailOnline that the “general recommendation” that everyone should eat breakfast “has no specific scientific basis”. .

A meal isn’t necessary to start the day or wake up, because the body clock “secretes the chemicals that help us wake up and get out of bed, whether we eat breakfast or not,” she said. .

Findings from large studies that show that breakfast eaters are the healthiest are often due to factors other than the meal itself, such as: B. Sleeping patterns, says dr. Amati.

Also, asking people to eat breakfast first when many aren’t hungry “usually leads to something quick and easy,” she said.

Toast with jelly, ultra-processed cereals, snack bars, baked goods and smoothies all provide “a lot of available sugars, but not enough protein, fiber and healthy fats to be considered a complete meal,” said Dr. Amati.

For example a portion of 45g Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Chocolate Clusters have almost half the amount of sugar for an adult, but only five percent fiber and seven percent recommended protein per day.

Dr. Amati said: “Eating a sweet meal on an empty stomach often causes many of us to feel hungry and tired within hours of the meal when all the sugar has been absorbed and our body needs other things. Nutrient.

“It’s best to skip this type of breakfast and have a meal with eggs, mushrooms, vegetables, tomatoes, beans and some whole grains if you get hungry a little later.”

“Of course, if you wake up hungry, it’s best to eat a healthy, nutritious meal that will give you more energy throughout the day.”

Skipping breakfast is therefore “not a problem for everyone,” said dr. Amati added.

“More important than eating breakfast at a specific time is making sure the first meal of the day is complete and nutritious,” she added.

Professor Jonathan Johnston, an expert in chronobiology and physiology at the University of Surrey, told MailOnline: “The breakfast literature is quite complex, mainly because people who habitually skip breakfast often have other unhealthy traits.”

Studies show that they are less healthy, have poorer diets, often skip meals and overeat.

Professor James Betts, an expert in metabolic physiology at the University of Bath, told MailOnline: “Most people seem to get the impression that eating breakfast every day is incredibly important.”

However, he notes that studies on the importance of breakfast are “much less conclusive than people think.”

Professor Betts said: “Most of the evidence shows little or no adverse health effects overall from skipping breakfast…

“So the good – or perhaps disappointing – news is that whether or how much you eat in the morning does not in itself have a huge impact on your health for most people.”

He added: “Whether a given person is likely to benefit (from breakfast) depends on the benefits they hope to achieve and how healthy their diet and lifestyle already are.”