The generation we all are in today is always in a hurry, and nobody wants to wait. Life is just a race now. RUN! RUN! RUN! We all need to be on time at work, no matter what.
Just pause and ask yourself a question: Do I have time to eat breakfast? Most of you will get an answer in negative.
Now, think, Is it good for you? Isn’t your breakfast an important meal of the day? Isn’t it causing any effect on your body? The answer is YES!
It is causing problems to your body, but the only thing responsible for continuing to cause problems is your ignorance towards how breakfast is important for heart disease.
Breakfast is Important for Heart Disease
Instead of giving our holidays for our health check-ups, we spend on vacations and other not-so-important things.
And yes, all that is important too but not more than your health. Just give a few hours from your day off for your health check-up, and you are good to go every time.
Breakfast: Why is it Important?
Eating breakfast regularly is an important part of your day. It makes a huge difference in your dietary and lifestyle factors without you noticing it.
You might not realize it now, but one day you will if you keep skipping breakfast regularly. It is important because it breaks your overnight fast and energizes you to work for the rest of your day actively.
Breakfast is important for heart disease, and it is linked to a spike in blood pressure in the morning. The blood pressure does not get balanced out when we do not eat our breakfast and thus, causes other related problems.
It can cause heart failure because the heart needs to work strongly to provide what the body needs.
Breakfast helps in:
- breaking your overnight fasting
- kick-start your metabolism
- boost your energy level
- replenishing your supply of glucose
- promoting a healthy heart, and helps in keeping heart disease away
The 5th point brings us to the main focus of our study, how breakfast is important for heart disease.
Should you Skip Breakfast?
Most adults skip breakfast due to being late for their work. Though children’s case is quite different as they mostly eat breakfast because they have their moms and dads fussing over them to finish it, the question is, are they having a healthy breakfast, or is it in any way one of their good eating habits?
It’s not that just having breakfast is enough; it must be healthy because it is an important meal of the day.
Regularly skipping breakfast may increase cardiovascular diseases like dangerous cholesterol levels, coronary heart disease, and heart attack.
Hence, let’s start with how breakfast is important for heart disease and find out the facts one should not ignore.
How is Breakfast Important for Heart Disease?
Breakfast eating habits make a great difference in one’s lifestyle, not just in terms of health benefits but also in aspects like a sharp mind, focus on work, active participation, a fresh start, new and creative ideas, innovative thoughts, and much more. A healthy breakfast promotes a healthy heart.
However, the fact that people skipping breakfast affects their daily life is a lot concerning the topic to be discussed.
The most important thing is how breakfast is important for heart disease, which accounts for its importance in one’s healthy life.
It might appear normal or not-so-harmful practice to skip breakfast but remember that even the slightest of things can lead one to something unhealthy and fatal.
5 Important Facts you Should Not Ignore
Let’s look at the facts with some case studies that will open your eyes to the consequences of skipping breakfast and will make you aware of how breakfast is important for heart disease:
FACT 1: Risk of High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure starts increasing in the morning when the person wakes up. So, it’s very important to have healthy breakfast eating habits to control high BP, such as eliminating caffeine from your morning meal and daily physical activities.
According to the European Public Health Association journal article: “Association between breakfast skipping and blood pressure – a meta-analysis of 20 studies”, high blood pressure was found in breakfast skippers than breakfast eaters, suggesting that healthy breakfast habit reduces risk factors related to blood pressure.
Meta-analysis shows Blood that blood pressure is higher in breakfast skippers than in those who eat healthy, timely breakfasts. For more, read here.
FACT 2: Risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
According to World Health Organization (WHO), heart attack and stroke were the cause of 85% of the deaths in 2019 due to Covid.
CVDs were the cause of 38% of premature deaths (under the age of 70) out of the 17 million premature deaths. Globally, about 2% of deaths from CVDs are linked to rheumatic heart disease. Read out full fact sheets here.
A study published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.: “Effects of regular breakfast habits on metabolic and cardiovascular diseases,” suggests participants having irregular breakfast habits might have an impact on lipid levels, increase atherosclerotic LDL (low-density lipoprotein) levels, and further cause atherosclerosis that leads to cardiovascular diseases.
It comes with hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular mortality, low-level lipoprotein cholesterol, and more.
Regular breakfast helps in the greatest cardio-metabolic benefits, reducing the risk of T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus), obesity, and hypertension. For more, read here.
FACT 3: Effect of Eating Breakfast on Body Weight
According to an article by BMJ Publishing Group: “Effect of breakfast on weight and energy intake: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials,” the available evidence does not support consuming breakfast to lose weight.
It is recommended for those seeking weight loss to consult a dietician regarding breakfast effects on your diet.
Therefore, proves how breakfast is important for heart disease. It needs to be consulted whether to skip or consume breakfast and overall weight management approach. For more, read here.
FACT 4: Risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
Coronary relates/denotes the arteries surrounding/supplying the heart. So, Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque build-up in the coronary artery walls due to the deposit of high cholesterol.
The study, “A Prospective Study of Breakfast Eating and Incident Coronary Heart Disease in a Cohort of Male U.S. Health Professionals,” is a good way to understand the reason Americans skip breakfast or snacking.
The younger male US health professionals who reported skipping meals more were mostly full-time employed, smokers, drinkers, and unmarried. The late-night eating abstainers were more likely to be married having less sleep.
In the large prospective study of middle-aged and older male US health professionals, those who regularly ate breakfast were at lower risk of coronary heart disease. Breakfast is associated with significantly lower CHD risk in a cohort of male health professionals. For more, read here.
FACT 5: Effect of Skipping Breakfast on Body Mass Index (BMI) and Type-2 Diabetic People
Studies reveal people who skip breakfast type 2 diabetes get affected due to spike in sugar levels which damages the insulin responses of people with type-2 diabetes throughout the rest of the day, researchers suggest.
Breakfast skippers among adults are associated with insulin resistance, hypertension, elevated lipids concentration, and increasing body weight. Late-night eating and decreasing the time of overnight fasting increase the risk of diabetes and obesity.
According to an article by Cureus Inc.: “The Effect of Breakfast Skipping and Late Night Eating on Body Mass Index and Glycemic Control Among Patients With Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus“, there is a good connection between skipping breakfast, late night eating, and body mass index.
The body mass index (BMI) says late-night eating and skipping breakfast can cause poor glycemic control. Late-night eating and breakfast skipping are associated with obesity and poor glycemic control. For more, read here.
Major Factors: Affect Heart Health
Observing all the facts related to breakfast skipping gives us problems causing healthy hearts to be prone to cardiovascular disease.
High BP, obesity, coronary heart health, sugar level, or BMI are interrelated in causing heart-related issues.
Now, let us bring you to some light regarding how breakfast is important for heart disease and how all these facts will lead up to no good stating conclusions we got, related to high BP, obesity, and sugar level.
1. High Blood Pressure (BP)
- Normal BP = 120/80 mmHg
- Low BP = Lower than 90/60 mmHg
- High BP = 140/90 mmHg
- Immediate Medical Treatment Required: 180/110 mmHg
Your heart works harder to pump if you have high blood pressure, because of which the left ventricle or the left chamber of the heart needs to strain more and gets thickened in the process, which increases the risk of heart attack and then, sudden death.
It makes it difficult for the heart to work smoothly without any stress, makes it less efficient, and weakens the heart muscles, causing heart failure.
2. Obesity
An obese body is when extra fat adds on to your body. It is measured by BMI and depends on where fat is stored in your body. When your fat cells enlarge, they release hormones causing chronic inflammation.
That will lead to your body no longer using insulin efficiently. This causes a problem in maintaining sugar levels causing metabolic syndrome. Hence, causes cardiovascular disease.
Your body shape defining the place of your fat storage is an important factor in giving an account to the extent of heart health issues you may counter. Abdominal fat is the most dangerous for heart health.
In other words, an apple-shaped person is more prone to heart disease than a pear-shaped person.
3. Blood Sugar Level
High blood sugar levels may cause damage to your blood vessels. It can be detrimental to the nerves that control your heart and blood vessels; hence, without you noticing, it can affect your nerves and make heart attacks painless or “silent attack.”
In, any warning signs may not occur, or they are so mild that without your noticing, they will cause damage to your heart, which is highly risky.
Now, after discussing how breakfast is important for heart disease, let’s get to how we can promote a healthy heart by adopting healthy habits.
How Can I Promote Heart Health and Be Safe?
This question comes to mind as soon as we read all the facts mentioned above. Like, everybody wants to be safe and, most importantly, ALIVE!
So, knowing the root causes of heart health and how breakfast is important for heart disease brings us one step closer to making our hearts healthy. All we need is to take measures and be safe, healthy, and live longer.
1. Regular Check-ups
Most of us do not even think of our body check-ups, leading us to chronic diseases as we know about the problem only when it gets worse.
Lack of awareness is responsible for this as people do not take proper care of their body until and unless it gives up! Reaching a situation like this is your fault.
When our materialistic things, such as cars and others, need regular maintenance, and we even provide them with what keeps them working properly and smoothly, why do we never think the same for our bodies?
So, give a few hours from your busy month for your body and get a full body check-up regularly.
2. Healthy Breakfast
We all know about the importance of a healthy diet but don’t care about it. Why? Because the body is working fine “right now.”
But will it work as efficiently and well in the future? NO! The body also requires care; it might work well right now but will eventually slow down in the future due to unhealthy eating patterns for a long period.
Start eating a healthy breakfast because breakfast is important for heart disease, making it a necessity to have a nutritious breakfast; it is not like leaving eating everything you love, but make sure to eat more healthy food and any junk food you love eating once a week.
This one modification in your eating patterns will bring a huge amount of change in your health. You will notice a difference in your lifestyle.
3. Physical Activities
How breakfast is important for heart disease, so exercising or doing Yoga daily is one of the best habits one can achieve too. Yes, it is not easy to exercise daily; it requires strong willpower, but once you become habitual, there is no turning back.
A good way to keep your body healthy, efficient, and away from heart-related issues. It acts as a greasing for your body, which keeps it working properly, smoothly, and efficiently.
Morning exercise is good for health with a sufficient and healthy breakfast. It energizes you, replenishes the nutrients, and fulfils your other essentials like vitamins and minerals. It also boosts your brainpower.
It strengthens your heart muscles and lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol, which keeps your heart healthy.
4. On-time Meal Consumption
Eating is never enough, but we all must work on meal timing. If we talk about the modern approach towards meal frequency, it has changed from just breakfast -> lunch -> dinner -to brunch -> lunch -> dinner.
Nowadays, a term called “brunch,” which is a term that came out of breakfast + lunch = brunch is very famous.
It means eating your first meal of the day neither in the morning nor exactly at lunch but a time in between these two, like, at noon. This usually happens due to bad sleeping habits and late-night eating.
So, start eating breakfast on time instead of fluctuating it every day due to an irregular sleep pattern.
5. Be Vigilant
Heart health is important; it needs regular care to keep it healthy and work properly. You should be vigilant about how breakfast is important for heart disease; the slightest issues might occur in your body, such as chronic chest pains, sudden fainting, continuous high blood pressure, pain in the jaw, neck, or back, and problems in breathing.
Such factors alert you to check your body for any heart issues before it worsens and leads to something bad. Hence, before it is late, get to the root cause of the problem and save yourself.
What Does Healthy Breakfast Include?
A healthy breakfast includes a trio of protein, fibre-packed carbohydrates, and better-for-you fats. Your breakfast should be delicious and nutritious.
It is important for a fresh start, and how breakfast is important for heart disease makes it a must to include such food items in our daily breakfast, promoting a healthy heart and keeping us fit and good to go!
Here, we discuss some healthy morning meals that solve our problems related to the facts that how breakfast is important for heart disease to keep us safe and healthy:
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Fresh Fruits:
They contain fewer calories and a good amount of fibre, minerals, and simple sugars. Bananas, oranges, lime juice, blueberries, and avocado, are some fruits you can try out! Fibre is good, and it helps slow down the absorption of body sugar while providing a steady source of energy.
They help in good metabolism and have a positive effect on sugar levels.
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Eggs:
By Nadin Sh/pixels. Copyright 2021 As per the American Heart Association, one egg a day is important for most people. It is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and B12. It helps in metabolism as it is also rich in choline nutrients. Regular eating can help in maintaining a balanced diet.
Doctors also recommend to heart disease patients who need a cholesterol-free breakfast for a healthy heart to eat egg white, which is protein rich and helps build strong muscles and maintain muscle mass.
Egg yolk helps boost an antioxidant as it contains vitamins A, D, E, and K and omega-3 fats. Also, contain amino acids, which help with heart diseases.
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Whole Grain Cereal:
A whole grain consists of all edible parts of the grain, encompassing the bran, germ, and endosperm. Whole grain cereal comprises rye, triticale, millet, oats, brown rice, corn, oat bran, flaxseeds, barley, soybeans, and wheat.
They are excellent sources of carbohydrates, resistance against starch, low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin levels. Also, eating in sufficient amounts may help in reducing type-2 diabetes risk.
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Overnight Oats:
They are overnight-soaked oats rich in protein, fibre, minerals, and vitamins, including magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, and zinc. Thus, keeping your stomach happy! It also helps in weight loss, healthy hair, and hormonal balance.
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Banana Smoothie:
It helps in boosting muscle potassium and glycogen stores. It not only helps in weight loss but also weight gain and diarrhea. Good for pregnancy as it contains B6, which is great for the baby’s developing central nervous system. Also, potassium helps with leg cramps. You can try Strawberry Banana Smoothie.
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Yogurt:
By Jenna Hamra/pexels. Copyright 2020 Yogurts are good for heart patients as they help maintain blood pressure and cholesterol. Yogurts are good when it comes to preventing long-term weight gain, which is good for the heart.
Greek Yogurt is a source of vitamin B12, which helps prevent anemia and keeps blood cells and the nervous system healthy. It also reduces the risk of Type-2 Diabetes by 14%.
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Oatmeal with Nuts and Berries:
Berries are a source of polyphenols related to cardiovascular disease prevention, especially anthocyanins, micronutrients, and fibre. The highest antioxidants are found in blueberries, cranberries, and blackberries.
These are said to prevent the changes that turn cholesterol molecules in the blood into substances that can form plaques in artery walls that in turn block the proper flow of blood.
So, you see how delicious breakfast can be with its many health benefits. As you must know, it takes at least 3-4 weeks to develop a new habit; it’s time for you to create eating a healthy breakfast regularly.
Once you become habitual, there is no stopping you from a prosperous, healthy lifestyle.
Closing Thoughts: Breakfast is Important for Heart Disease
Now that we know how important breakfast is for heart disease, we all should look at our breakfast eating habits and bring the required changes to our lifestyle. Heart health must be your priority, so get up and book your check-up schedule now!
Starting now, make your healthy balanced breakfast schedule, and ENJOY A HEALTHY, DISEASE-FREE LIFE!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is breakfast the most important part of the day?
Even if it might not be the most vital meal during the day, breakfast is nonetheless significant. You have the chance to assist energize your day and give your body the essential nutrients it needs.
2. Is it harmful to skip breakfast?
When people skip breakfast, they may get migraines, low blood sugar, dizziness, and difficulties concentrating.
3. Which meal is the most important meal of the day?
The most significant mealtime of the day may not be breakfast, but rather dinner. The risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease increases dramatically for people who eat dinner much later or not at all.
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Last Updated on March 2, 2023 by Gourvi gupta
