6 things that can happen when you skip breakfast

13.08.2018 18:43

Breakfast REUTERS/Todd Korol

When life gets hectic (and for most of us, that’s more often than not) and we’re rushing around just trying to make it to work on time, there’s one thing we tend to skip: breakfast. For years though, we’ve all been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what happens when we skip it? It can actually have a big impact on your health and overall wellbeing, some good and some not so good effects.

Here’s what you need to know about what happens to your body when you skip breakfast— especially if you’re a repeat offender.

It could slow down your metabolism.

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While everyone’s total caloric needs differ, imbalanced eating throughout the day, if done regularly, can really affect your metabolism long-term.

The notion that eating breakfast kick-starts your metabolism has been deemed as a myth. But, your metabolism can slow down if you don’t eat shortly after waking because the body sends a message to the brain to conserve fats and energy until fed again, according to Health.com.

The best remedy is to figure out what works for you, if you aren’t hungry right after waking up, plan a protein-packed and complex carbohydrate-filled snack for later in the morning.

Experts are divided on whether it causes weight gain.

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The notion that skipping breakfast can make you more likely to gain weight is a common one, but experts are divided on whether or not it's true.

Often times skipping a meal leads to increased hunger throughout the day, which can lead to extra snacking, or overindulgence later in the day, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Too, skipping a meal often times sparks the thought process that the calories skipped can be (and will be) made up for at a later meal. Ultimately, your total caloric needs should be met for weight maintenance, and the times in which you’re eating throughout the day can play a role.

Still, other high-quality studies have shown that it didn't really matter if people ate breakfast or not, according to Healthline, they didn't show any difference in weight gain.

It seems like this is another case of eating when is right for you and your body's needs.

Brain function might take a hit.

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The brain runs on glucose, so after being in a fasted state overnight, it’s important to consume carbohydrates, which break down into glucose, to refuel your brain in the morning, according to Reader's Digest. If you skip breakfast, brain function may take a hit.

When dietary carbohydrates are broken down into glucose in the body and supplied to the brain, this allows for optimal cognitive and memory function.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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