Skipping Breakfast and Metabolic Health Consequences
- 14 oct
- 2 Min. de lectura
Recent studies have underscored the critical importance of eating a regular morning meal, linking frequent breakfast omission directly to a heightened risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its core components, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions whose underlying biological basis includes insulin resistance and central obesity. As the global prevalence of MetS increases, identifying modifiable risk factors like meal patterns has become urgent.
A cross-sectional study conducted among university students (ages 18–39) in South Korea aimed to assess the relationship between breakfast frequency and metabolic syndrome prevalence. Researchers found that 56.8% of the 12,302 participants skipped breakfast at least four days a week.
The study revealed a significant positive trend between the frequency of skipping breakfast and MetS (P for trend = 0.038). Specifically, those skipping breakfast 4–7 days per week had a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome (3.1%) compared to non-skippers (1.7%). While the association slightly attenuated after full adjustment for lifestyle and dietary factors, the trend remained significant. Among the components of MetS, frequent breakfast skipping was notably associated with higher odds of high blood pressure (BP).
Furthermore, the research showed that overall unhealthy meal patterns—defined by a combination of frequent breakfast skipping, binge eating, and irregular meals—were associated with higher odds of MetS compared to a healthy meal pattern. Skippers tended to exhibit lower overall diet quality, often consuming fast foods and high simple sugars while consuming fewer fruits, vegetables, and milk. They also tended to be older, male, heavy drinkers, current smokers, and physically inactive.
These findings align with a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the global association between skipping breakfast and MetS risk. This pooled analysis found that individuals who skipped breakfast had an overall 1.10-fold higher risk of MetS.
The meta-analysis confirmed that skipping breakfast was significantly associated with an increased risk across multiple MetS components, including abdominal obesity (pooled OR 1.17), hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia. The authors of this review suggested that a well-balanced breakfast could serve as a cost-effective lifestyle intervention for managing and preventing cardiometabolic diseases.
Skipping the first meal of the day disrupts metabolic processes, often impairing insulin sensitivity, which is typically highest in the morning. This action can lead to increased postprandial insulin levels after later meals. Skipping meals also triggers hormonal shifts, such as a rise in the hunger hormone ghrelin, often leading to compensatory overeating of larger, energy-dense meals later in the day, which contributes to weight gain and insulin resistance.
Researchers concluded that eating breakfast may be a crucial factor in reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome in young adults, though further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the causal relationship.
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