About 31 million Americans skip breakfast every day. Many more have only a small, quick meal. You've probably heard that breakfast is important because it gives you energy to start your day, but did you know that it could actually affect your health.
Consider a recent study published in the magazine Circulation. Researchers followed over 26,000 initially healthy men for 16 years. After adjusting for age, they found that those skipping breakfast were at 33% greater risk of developing coronary heart disease than those who ate breakfast daily.
Furthermore, the lead author of the study stated that, "Skipping breakfast may lead to one or more risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which may in turn lead to a heart attack over time,"
Case in point, a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that skipping breakfast, even once a week, raised women's risk of developing diabetes by 20 percent. The study also found that overweight or obese women were more likely to develop diabetes than thin women who skipped breakfast.
Ladies there is a simple and delicious solution to this 20% risk—eat breakfast. Dr. Leah E. Cahill, a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, had this advice. "Incorporating many types of healthy foods into your breakfast is an easy way to ensure your meal provides adequate energy and a healthy balance of nutrients, such as protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. For example, adding nuts and chopped fruit to a bowl of whole grain cereal or steel-cut oatmeal in the morning is a great way to start the day."
Sounds good to me. If you're one of the 31 million Americans who skip breakfast each day. I encourage you to give breakfast a try. It can only benefit you.
