Skipping breakfast increases the risk of diabetes

A small study led by Dr. Elizabeth Thomas, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, showed that when overweight women skipped breakfast, they developed insulin resistance. When this happened, they needed more insulin to get their blood sugar back to normal levels.

According to the study, the insulin resistance of the participants was short-lived. But if this disorder becomes chronic, it becomes a risk factor for diabetes. Excess weight, on the other hand, constitutes in itself another risk factor.

Or, taking a healthy breakfast every day can be beneficial for your health. Not only does it help you lose weight, but by helping your body control insulin better, it helps you avoid type 2 diabetes.

In the mentioned study, only nine women, who were 29 years old on average, were examined. All were overweight or obese.

Researchers measured insulin levels and participants' blood sugar levels on two different days, after lunch. One day, the women had had breakfast; another, they had skipped breakfast.

Normally, glucose (sugar) levels rise after eating, which in turn triggers insulin production. This process helps the cells absorb glucose and convert it into energy.

However, the glucose and insulin levels after lunch were much higher on the day the participants had skipped breakfast than on the day they had eaten breakfast.

The explanation, according to Thomas, is that when the participants did not eat breakfast, they needed a higher level of insulin to process the same food.

There was a 28% increase in the insulin response and a 12% increase in the glucose response after not eating breakfast. This represents a slight increase in glucose and a moderate increase in insulin.

The results of this study should be considered preliminary. Experts say the study does not prove causality, but did find a relationship between skipping breakfast and an increase in insulin levels. It is also not known if the effect is short or long term. More research is still needed to verify the results.

In any case, it is not advisable to skip any food, nor be eating very frequently or "peck". According to other studies conducted in Europe, a substantial meal in the middle of the day is better than a substantial meal at dinner time.

But if due to your habits or your schedule, the European pattern of feeding is not convenient, the ideal is to eat a good breakfast in the morning, a good lunch in the middle of the day and a light dinner.

However, if you want to get the full benefit of a good breakfast every day, there are other steps you should take together. If you are overweight, the most important of course is that you try to eat a healthy diet to reach a healthy weight, according to your age and your physical conditions. But while you get the weight you want, do not miss breakfast. And if you accompany him with a good walk or another exercise recommended by your doctor, so much the better. You will decrease your chances of developing diabetes, or improve your control if you are already diabetic.