7 Consequences of Skipping Breakfast You Should Know About
Many people are unaware of the consequences of skipping breakfast and continue to ignore this important meal. Although breakfast has been highlighted as an essential part of a healthy diet in recent years, some people still underestimate the impact this can have on the body.
In fact, some still think that not eating breakfast is a great way to consume fewer calories and thus lose weight more easily. However, far from doing this, skipping breakfast can actually make you gain weight, and cause other problems that impact your quality of life.
Therefore, it’s essential to include this important meal in your diet and, above all, make sure to eat healthily. Do you know what happens to your body when you don’t eat breakfast? Discover the main consequences in this article.
7 Consequences of Skipping Breakfast
The consequences of skipping breakfast include:
1. You don’t feel energized
For optimal physical and mental performance during the day, it’s essential to “recharge” your body with a good breakfast. Therefore, one of the consequences of skipping breakfast is tiredness and sleepiness that might not go away over the course of the day.
However, be careful! Replacing it with some coffee and crackers won’t do the trick. If the goal is to give your body “fuel”, your breakfast must be composed of an appropriate combination of foods rich in essential nutrients.
2. Your blood sugar levels increase
The nutrients you get from breakfast foods are crucial in controlling blood sugar levels. Thus, when it’s not consumed in time or you replace it with unhealthy alternatives, your insulin concentration decreases and your body accumulates more sugar.
This problem is quite alarming, especially for people with risk factors for diabetes, as shown in this study carried out by the University of the Republic of Montevideo in Uruguay. If this problem isn’t solved as soon as possible, increased glucose can also cause other symptoms and conditions.
3. You feel hungrier as a consequence of skipping breakfast
One of the consequences of not eating this meal is a feeling of anxiety. Although at first it may seem like not having will mean you eat fewer calories, it actually makes you eat more than you should since it causes an insatiable hunger.
4. Emotional imbalances
The lack of nutrients caused by skipping the first meal of the day can also cause emotional imbalances, which, in turn, can lead to binge eating or eating disorders later on, as confirmed in this study by the Autonomous University of Madrid. Since good quality foods contain substances that ensure well-being, bad breakfasts trigger stress and irritability.
So, if these emotions have been affecting your work or family life lately, you should give your diet another look. Moreover, it’s a good idea to include foods that stimulate serotonin, such as dark chocolate, bananas, and avocados, in your diet.
5. Your immune system weakens
The nutrients you get from breakfast help strengthen your immune system. For this reason, skipping breakfast can weaken your immune system, thus making your body more susceptible to infections.
6. You develop digestive problems
It is believed that slow digestion and constipation are other consequences of skipping breakfast. Although there are many factors that can influence its development, the lack of nutrients caused by not eating this meal can be the trigger. However, there is no scientific evidence to prove these claims.
It’s essential to include sources of dietary fiber, fatty acids, and water in your breakfasts. This combination helps regulate bowel function and helps rid the body of waste. Additionally, it regulates the pH of your bacterial flora and reduces the risk of gastritis and indigestion.
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7. You have a higher risk of suffering from heart disease
According to a study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, men who don’t have breakfast are 27% more likely to suffer a heart attack or severe heart disease.
Apparently, not eating breakfast may lead to the development of diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, and hypertension. All of these factors have a direct impact on the risk for heart disease and also affect the health of your brain. However, researchers have stated that eating breakfast every day can serve as a preventative measure.
Consequences of skipping breakfast: conclusion
Do you eat breakfast every day? Is it complete and balanced? Now that you know the consequences of skipping it, try to make sure to include foods with a high nutritional value. Also, remember that its caloric content should correspond to 25% of your body’s daily needs.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Cahill, L. E., Chiuve, S. E., Mekary, R. A., Jensen, M. K., Flint, A. J., Hu, F. B., & Rimm, E. B. (2013). Prospective study of breakfast eating and incident coronary heart disease in a cohort of male US health professionals. Circulation, 128(4), 337-343.
- Durá Travé, T. (2013). Análisis nutricional del desayuno y almuerzo en una población universitaria. Nutrición Hospitalaria, 28(4), 1291-1299.
- Herrero Lozano, R., & Fillat Ballesteros, J. C. (2006). Estudio sobre el desayuno y el rendimiento escolar en un grupo de adolescentes. Nutrición Hospitalaria, 21(3), 346-352.
- Rodríguez, M. P. G., & de la Rosa Morales, V. (2007). Los adolescentes que consumen comida rápida y no desayunan tienen más riesgo de ser obesos en la vida adulta. Evidencias en pediatría, 3(2), 46.
