Folklore would have us believe that we should eat like a king at breakfast, like a prince at lunchtime and like a pauper at dinner. As with many such ancient pearls of wisdom, there is some merit to the argument that breakfast is perhaps the most important meal of the day. Certainly the nutritional literature contains evidence that breakfast is important for the physical and mental health, and maintenance of correct body weight (here). This last point is interesting, because although breakfast eaters obviously eat more calories in the early part of the day, non-breakfast eaters eat more in the latter part of the day, with both groups reaching the day’s end with similar total energy intakes (here). However, the breakfast eaters tend to have lower body weights, suggesting that they are healthier, despite similar caloric intakes. There is also evidence suggesting that breakfast is associated with better health may in some part relate to those individuals being more physically active on breakfast days.
For example, in a recent study1, researchers monitored the physical activity levels of British adolescent boys and girls, and at the same time the subjects completed diet diaries to allow the researchers to assess their food consumption patterns. On weekends, girls and boys with higher levels of moderate and high intensity physical activity were more likely to consume breakfast. However, on weekdays, there were no association between moderate and high intensity activity and breakfast consumption. In addition, the time of peak activity differed between breakfast and non-breakfast consumers suggesting that breakfast may have been influencing exercise periods. It was also reported that those who inconsistently ate breakfast did more moderate and high intensity exercise on those days when breakfast was consumed compared to days when no breakfast was consumed. These results that breakfast consumption is associated with higher moderate and high intensity activity levels on weekends in boys and girls.
However, the nature of this association is controversial as previous findings in this regard have been inconsistent. The lack of associations between moderate and high intensity exercise and breakfast in the weekdays can perhaps be explained by the attendance of school, and the regimented movements and lack of free time to allow the children to follow their own interests. In contrast, at weekends when the children were free to choose activities, those who consumed breakfast were more likely to undertake moderate and high intensity exercise. Whether the breakfast is the cause of the physical activity is however more difficult to interpret. It could be for example, that those engaged in regular activities, perhaps in a job or sports club, are more organised and as a result more likely to rise earlier and prepare for the day with breakfast. Certainly this interpretation seems more likely. Therefore breakfast may be important for health because it demonstrates discipline in eating habits, which carry over to other aspects of nutritional intake.
Dr Robert Barrington’s Nutritional Recommendation: Breakfast is certainly an important meal of the day. Early in the morning glycogen stores in the liver are low and blood sugar levels have fallen. As the brain relies on blood sugar primarily as a fuel, consuming breakfast to support optimal levels of blood sugar is important for mental function. By eating breakfast then, clear thinking is restored and this provides a strong base for the development of mental faculties which leads to the development of ideas and interests that support health. Skipping breakfast is a sign of disorganisation, but may also hinder mental performance, thus further limiting the scope of intellectual growth. Looking at the importance of breakfast from a mental perspective or organisation and discipline, rather than a physical one of nutrients, explains the inconsistent findings in the literature and the association between body weight and breakfast that exists despite no evidence of differing energy intakes.
RdB
