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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but many people ignore it for various reasons, under the guise of "saving money" or "losing weight." However, the long-term neglect of breakfast poses the greatest risk to the body.
"The morning sets the day," and the first meal in the morning is crucial. However, due to reasons such as oversleeping, rushing to work, finding it troublesome, or various other reasons, many people often miss breakfast. Is it really okay to skip breakfast for a long time? No, in fact, skipping breakfast for an extended period can easily lead to various health issues.
After a night of metabolism, bile is stored in the gallbladder, and having breakfast helps promote the discharge of bile and aids in food digestion. However, if breakfast is skipped for an extended period, bile will accumulate and concentrate in the gallbladder, ultimately leading to the formation of gallstones.
A study involving over 70,000 people published in 2020 in "Nutrition" found that those who regularly skip breakfast had significantly elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (an indicator of systemic inflammation) in their blood, indicating a correlation between skipping breakfast and systemic chronic inflammation.
A study in "Long-term Skipping of Breakfast also Increases the Risk of Diabetes" found that after a 16-year study involving 30,000 healthy adult men without diabetes, those who only ate lunch and dinner, skipping breakfast, had a 25% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those who had regular meals three times a day. Even after accounting for changes in body weight, the results still showed a 16% increased risk of diabetes associated with skipping breakfast.
Dr. Li Xiuzhen, Director of the Department of Genetics and Endocrinology at the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, stated that the brain has a high demand for glucose, but brain cells cannot synthesize glucose on their own. After a night of fasting, if breakfast is not consumed in a timely manner and liver glycogen is depleted, the brain's required glucose can only rely on ketone bodies derived from the breakdown of fatty acids, leading to a decline in learning and cognitive abilities.
Skipping breakfast can leave the stomach hungry for an extended period, leading to excessive secretion of gastric acid, which can cause gastritis and gastric ulcers, and prolonged neglect can also increase the risk of chronic gastrointestinal inflammation.
Long-term neglect of breakfast can make the body think it is in a "period of famine." When eating lunch and dinner later, not only does the amount of food increase, but the body's ability to absorb nutrients also improves, leading to more fat being stored in the body.
After a night's sleep, we recommend drinking a cup of warm water in the morning. However, some people say that drinking water on an empty stomach in the morning will swallow millions of bacteria. Is this true or false?
In reality, it's not that exaggerated, because the mouth itself is a huge breeding ground for bacteria, with over 700 different types and a quantity of up to 50 billion. However, many of these bacteria are beneficial, and even if they are swallowed, stomach acid and intestinal probiotics will eliminate pathogenic microorganisms.
Moreover, it's quite difficult to drink down bacteria through water. After a night, bacteria have already formed plaque on the teeth, and water flow actually has a hard time washing away the plaque, which is why it's important to brush your teeth in the morning.
Therefore, drinking a cup of warm water in the morning doesn't mean you are drinking bacteria! On the contrary, drinking water on an empty stomach in the morning has its benefits:
Metabolic waste accumulates in the body overnight, and the body is physiologically dehydrated in the morning. Drinking warm water at this time can promote bowel movement, cleanse the stomach and intestines, and help eliminate metabolic waste.
The body continues to lose a significant amount of water during sleep, and drinking warm water in the morning can replenish the lost fluids, helping to improve nighttime dehydration.
Blood flow slows down at night, and in the morning, blood viscosity reaches its peak, and blood pressure also rises. Drinking a cup of warm water at this time can help reduce blood viscosity, improve blood circulation, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.
However, it's important to note that there are two types of water that are best avoided in the morning:
Very cold water can irritate the stomach and cause rapid contraction of the stomach mucosal blood vessels, leading to discomfort such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. Water that is too hot can scald the esophageal mucosa, and long-term exposure can lead to repeated scalding and repair of the mucosa, which can easily induce esophageal cancer.
For example, adding honey to plain water can easily convert to glucose, causing large fluctuations in blood sugar. Similarly, consuming too much lightly salted water may increase blood pressure, and lemon water, being acidic, can cause acid reflux, especially for those with excessive gastric acid.
Morning is the beginning of a day, and drinking water on an empty stomach in the morning is not as dramatic as swallowing millions of bacteria. On the contrary, it has benefits for the body. In comparison, skipping breakfast can be even more harmful, potentially leading to various diseases due to "starving" the body.
Steamed buns with porridge is a common national breakfast, but having steamed bread or buns with porridge for breakfast for a long time can actually be very harmful to health.
Firstly, steamed bread and buns are staple foods rich in carbohydrates, and excessive consumption can lead to obesity and increase the risk of high blood lipids, fatty liver, and atherosclerosis.
Secondly, steamed bread and buns are often made from refined white rice or flour. Overconsumption can increase stress responses and the production of inflammatory factors, leading to chronic inflammation. When the body's immune system is in a prolonged state of battle, it can eventually lead to the onset of cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, and even cancer.
It's often said that breakfast should be eaten like a king, and a truly beneficial breakfast should include four major categories of food:
Options include steamed buns, porridge, and even miscellaneous grains and tubers like sweet potatoes and oats, which can provide energy to the body.
Animal products such as milk, eggs, chicken, and beef, as well as legumes such as tofu and other soy products. These two types of foods can provide the body with the necessary high-quality protein, slow down gastric emptying, and enhance satiety.
Options include lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other easily cold-dressed vegetables, aimed at supplementing dietary fiber and vitamins.
It's best to choose seasonal and local fruits, such as strawberries in spring, melons and fruits in summer, apples and pears in autumn, and hawthorn and persimmons in winter, with the aim of supplying the required vitamins and dietary fiber. It's important not to substitute fruit juice for whole fruits, and if fruits are not consumed during breakfast, they can also be consumed as a snack between breakfast and lunch.
Modern people often have disrupted day and night schedules, coupled with busy work, and often can't resist staying in bed in the morning, thus missing the most important breakfast of the day. A rich breakfast can give us energy and better prepare us for the day's work.
It is recommended that everyone develop the habit of eating breakfast and pay attention to the four combinations of breakfast for comprehensive nutrition to meet the body's needs.
