Skipping breakfast can cause irritability, fatigue
Amy Witherby
Issue date: 5/26/04 Section: College Living
In the rush to get ready to go to work or class, skipping breakfast may be more harmful than one might think.
According to a study conducted on more than 1,000 volunteers by the Journal of the American College Nutrition, people who ate a complete breakfast containing more than one-quarter of their daily calories consumed less fat and more carbohydrates throughout the day than those who skipped breakfast.
Volunteers who ate breakfast also had a higher intake of vitamins and minerals and lower cholesterol levels.
Another study conducted by the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition found that people who ate cereal for breakfast every day felt better physically and mentally than people who did not eat breakfast.
Maybe the old saying is right - breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But why exactly is this?
During the typical eight-hour time period between dinner and breakfast, the body needs fuel for the many autonomous functions that take place while sleeping. This fuel is provided by glucose stored in the blood, muscles and the liver.
More than half of the body's glucose is gone by morning, which means the body is basically fasting, so the name "breakfast" is fitting.
The body needs a meal in the morning to regain this lost energy. While a burst of energy is naturally felt after sleeping, this energy will wear off as the day progresses. If one does not eat breakfast, the body will eventually be running on empty.
Skipping breakfast can cause blood-sugar levels to drop, which can cause fatigue, irritability, lethargy and poor concentration. Compensating by eating a large lunch in the afternoon may boost energy levels somewhat, but will not make up for an entire day's worth of energy, according to dietician Elizabeth Somer in a WebMD interview.
The food breakfast consists of is important as well. Breakfast should include at least one serving of fruit, which will increase the chances of consuming the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, according to Gloria Stables, director of the National Cancer Institute's "five-a-day" program.
According to a study conducted on more than 1,000 volunteers by the Journal of the American College Nutrition, people who ate a complete breakfast containing more than one-quarter of their daily calories consumed less fat and more carbohydrates throughout the day than those who skipped breakfast.
Volunteers who ate breakfast also had a higher intake of vitamins and minerals and lower cholesterol levels.
Another study conducted by the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition found that people who ate cereal for breakfast every day felt better physically and mentally than people who did not eat breakfast.
Maybe the old saying is right - breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But why exactly is this?
During the typical eight-hour time period between dinner and breakfast, the body needs fuel for the many autonomous functions that take place while sleeping. This fuel is provided by glucose stored in the blood, muscles and the liver.
More than half of the body's glucose is gone by morning, which means the body is basically fasting, so the name "breakfast" is fitting.
The body needs a meal in the morning to regain this lost energy. While a burst of energy is naturally felt after sleeping, this energy will wear off as the day progresses. If one does not eat breakfast, the body will eventually be running on empty.
Skipping breakfast can cause blood-sugar levels to drop, which can cause fatigue, irritability, lethargy and poor concentration. Compensating by eating a large lunch in the afternoon may boost energy levels somewhat, but will not make up for an entire day's worth of energy, according to dietician Elizabeth Somer in a WebMD interview.
The food breakfast consists of is important as well. Breakfast should include at least one serving of fruit, which will increase the chances of consuming the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, according to Gloria Stables, director of the National Cancer Institute's "five-a-day" program.
