Scientists at Barcelona’s Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute put one common mantra under the microscope in a new study
Breakfast’s often dubbed ‘the most important meal of the day’, but is it really? Scientists have now shed light on this common mantra – and their findings may just surprise you.
The new study, led by Barcelona’s Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, analysed data from 383 participants between 55 and 75 years old with ‘metabolic syndrome’. This refers to a group of conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, with the team keen to understand how ‘breakfast energy intake’ impacts various related health markers.
Results showed that eating 20 to 30% of a typical daily energy intake at breakfast reduced ‘adiposity’ among older adults. This simply refers to the total amount of fat stored in the body, including ‘triglycerides’, which are often linked an increased risk of heart disease and strokes.
Professor Álvaro Hernáez of Ramon Llull University, who worked on the project, explained: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what and how you eat it matters. Eating controlled amounts—not too much or too little—and ensuring good nutritional composition is crucial.
“Our data show that quality is associated with better cardiovascular risk factor outcomes. It’s as important to have breakfast as it is to have a quality one.” Beyond adiposity, participants who ate a ‘high-quality’ Mediterranean-style breakfast – encompassing protein, high-value fats, fibre and minerals – also reportedly had 3% higher HDL cholesterol.
HDLs are what’s sometimes nicknamed ‘good cholesterol’, with potential links to a reduced risk of cardiovascular emergencies, like strokes or heart disease. A 1.5% smaller waist circumference was found among these participants too, though experts assert that further research is required to better understand these links.
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“Promoting healthy breakfast habits may contribute to healthy aging by reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome and associated chronic diseases, thereby enhancing quality of life,” the study authors wrote. “More studies are needed to clarify the role of breakfast quantity and quality in cardiovascular outcomes and other chronic diseases, which could help refine dietary recommendations.”
