Lack of sleep and the development of chronic diseases have been linked to missing an important procedure

A number of studies have shown that skipping a morning meal has a negative impact on your health

Skipping breakfast is not as harmless as you might think. Experts have named two surprising reasons why consciously refusing to eat in the morning may be more harmful than previously thought.

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A study of more than 700 college students found that skipping breakfast was associated with an impact on sleep chronotypes and increased depressive symptoms, which negatively impacted sleep quality. The researchers note that the effect of skipping the first meal on sleep quality was small, but there was a noticeable difference compared to when people ate breakfast regularly.

Another small study of 66 healthy adults over the age of 20 showed that the frequency of eating breakfast was associated with changes in sleep quality, mood and even eating habits. According to the study, those who ate breakfast regularly «woke up with an improved mood compared to those who skipped breakfast.»

“If you habitually skip breakfast and notice that your mood or sleep is not as good as you would like, there may be a correlation,” say nutritionists.

“As they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. per day,” said longevity researcher Dan Buettner, who coined the term “blue zones.” According to him, this gives the body energy for the whole day and can be an opportunity to get a lot of healthy food at the beginning of the day.

The specialist emphasized that skipping breakfast can lead to serious consequences for the body. For example, it can lead to a slower metabolism, the development of chronic diseases, as well as deteriorating cognitive function and an increased risk of overeating during the day.

In addition, skipping breakfast is not consistent with a longevity diet. According to Dan Buettner, in the Blue Zones, communities with the highest life expectancy and longest-living people in the world, breakfast is a priority, indicating that breakfast may be beneficial for longevity.

“We have a saying: 'Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper,'» Buettner explains. «In blue zones, they eat their biggest meal of the day for breakfast, and then eat smaller meals throughout the day, eating frequently early dinner, and then not eaten until breakfast the next day.»

Breakfast in these areas also looks different from the typical breakfast in the American diet.

The nutritionist says people should avoid most of what is sold to us in America as breakfast foods, such as Pop-Tarts, sugary cereals, yogurts and granola. Instead, people should eat foods such as vegetables, rice, fruits, Miso soups and oatmeal in the morning to align their diets with the world's healthiest communities.

“I often start my day with «Minestrone ragu with vegetables and beans,» Buettner tells CNBCNews. «I encourage anyone reading this to try eating minestrone ragu or rice and beans for breakfast for a week and see how they feel.»