After all, should we or should not eat breakfast? Is it the most important meal of the day? What if we skip it? What does the research say so far? Read on to find out whether or not we should eat breakfast!

Definition of breakfast
The truth is that we come across various definitions for breakfast. A more general one states that breakfast is the first meal of the day that breaks the fast after a prolonged sleep, and one should have it within 2-3 hours from when the person wakes up. It should also include a drink or food from at least one food group and can get consumed at any location.

Surveys on breakfast
In recent years, there has been a considerable increase in research on breakfast since it seems that it may be related to our biological clocks. It means that our hormones with the breakfast meal can promote health in several ways. Indeed, various studies highlight the importance of daily breakfast as an important meal in our lives. Although there is a debate between breakfast proponents and non-proponents, meta-analyses tend to agree with the former. For those who do not know, meta-analyses are studies that take the data from smaller ones, which often have conflicting results, and conclude.

Thus, they are significant as they help us collect and evaluate the amount of data that exists today.

Meta-analyses report:
• Skipping breakfast was associated with the possibility of depression, stress, and psychological distress in all age groups, as well as anxiety in adolescents.
• Skipping breakfast can lead to weight loss in some cases. Also, adding breakfast to non-eaters may not help with weight loss.
• People who skipped breakfast three or more times a week, compared to two or fewer times, had an 11% higher risk of being overweight/obese.
• Skipping breakfast has been associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, increased cardiovascular risk, and type 2 diabetes.

What do official organizations say about breakfast?

Official organizations do not always refer to breakfast, which may have something to do with the gaps in the literature. However, I will mention something that I think is important: the National Dietary Guidelines for Children talks about breakfast and recommends eating it. Breakfast should be a daily habit that the whole family should have. Significantly, we set a good example for children by having breakfast ourselves. Eating breakfast daily is associated with healthier eating habits, with less consumption of foods rich in fat and sugar and a lower likelihood of increased body weight. At the same time, its omission leads to fatigue and reduced concentration, thus affecting school performance. Other organizations, for example, the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics agree on this. The truth is that habits built in childhood are vital to individuals, both in their daily lives as children and as adults.

My scientific view on breakfast consumption.

Generally, experts tend to recommend breakfast consumption and not skip it. However, whether or not all people should eat breakfast seems to be something that future research will show, as well as the field of nutrigenetics, i.e. what everyone should eat according to their DNA. Until then, let me share what I have observed from clinical practice.

The truth is, my experience tells me that not eating breakfast has no positive impact. During my internship in Italy, I found that there were too many people with obesity who skipped breakfast. The same is happening now that I observe people with type II diabetes at the Laiko Hospital: they often report that they never ate breakfast until they were diagnosed and started to change their eating habits. Eating breakfast, in the context of dividing food into several meals, is beneficial for blood glucose since it helps its levels to be even, and as a result, helps regulate hunger. In general, I notice that those who skip meals - like breakfast - have a less consistent and organized diet, which is the foundation for healthy eating habits. At the same time, a good beginning makes a good ending, meaning those who start with a low-quality breakfast (like puff pastry, sweets, or packaged goods) tend to continue this way throughout their eating pattern.

The opposite happens to people who start the day with a quality breakfast. Maybe the morning meal is not the most important meal of the day, but it sure is an element that shows that someone pays attention and cares about their diet in general. Moreover, people who regularly consume breakfast say it helps them, which is reasonable. They start their day hydrated and energized, ready to perform mentally and physically, and control hunger more effectively in the following hours. It cheers them up as they spend a few minutes in their morning self-care routine or with family or roommates.

The above paragraphs represent my opinion and subjective view (I did not investigate any statistical analysis!) which favors eating breakfast. So, yes. It is good to have a quality breakfast daily, even small. It is an essential meal of the day, but the rest are equally important. In any case, we should assess one's needs and what would suit them best.

As for the research that says breakfast skippers lost weight, I have to say that it makes sense: removing 200-300Kcal of breakfast while keeping the rest of the meals constant will lead to weight loss. However, I doubt that this method will lead to the desired result and, most importantly, to the rehabilitation of our relationship with our diet, especially for those who have an irregular diet.

Sources:
-Hoda Zahedi et al., "Breakfast consumption and mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies", Nutr Neurosci. 2022 Jun;25(6):1250-1264.
-Jonathan P Bonnet et al., “Breakfast Skipping, Body Composition, and Cardiometabolic Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials”, Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020 Jun;28(6):1098-1109.
- Huashan Bi et al., "Breakfast skipping and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of observational studies", Public Health Nutr. 2015 Nov;18(16):3013-9.
-Katherine Sievert et al., "Effect of breakfast on weight and energy intake: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials", BMJ. 2019 Jan 30;364:l42.
- Julia Wicherski et al., “Association between Breakfast Skipping and Body Weight-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Longitudinal Studies”, Nutrients. 2021 Jan 19;13(1):272.