People Should Stop Skipping Breakfast On A Regular Basis

COUNCIL CHRONICLE – According to a new study, skipping breakfast on a regular basis or eating very little or not enough in the morning might lead to significant heart problems. Research finds that this habit can almost double the risks of atherosclerosis.

Not Eating Breakfast Leads to Heart Problems

This research is part of the Progression and Early Detection of Atherosclerosis Study or PESA, conducted under the supervision of the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III or CNIS in Spain.

The study saw the participation of around 4,000 adults, 40 to 54 years old, living in Spain. None of the participants was known for having a history of heart disease. For research purposes, they offered data regarding their dietary habits, and also an approximation of how many calories they consumed on daily.

Based on this, the team divided the participants into three breakfast-eating groups. One of these included people that eat skipped this morning meal altogether or ate less than their five percent of their daily calories during such moments. Some three percent of the participants fit in this category.

Another group was dubbed the “low-energy breakfast” group. Some 70 percent of the participants were included in this category. They were noted to be consuming between 5 to 20 percent of their day’s calories in the morning.

The third and last eating pattern included some 27 percent of the people involved with the study and was described as the “high-energy breakfast” group. They gained over 20 percent of their daily calories in the morning.

Study Findings

According to the study team, the people in the first group had some 1.5 times more plaque in their arteries when compared to the high-energy breakfast club. The results concluded that the participants that skipped breakfast on a regular basis presented double the risks of developing atherosclerosis.

This is the narrowing or hardening of a person’s arteries. In turn, this can increase their chances of developing heart disease. Skipping this morning meal was also linked to unhealthy lifestyle and dietary habits such as an excessive alcohol intake or smoking.

Still, the study did have its number of limitations, according to the research team itself. Only a small percentage of the participants skipping breakfast altogether was one of them. Also, many reported having weight problems so they could have been dieting.

Study results are available in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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