A recent study found that eating a high-quality breakfast that provides the right amount of energy to face the day (about a quarter of your daily calorie intake) reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease.
This means eating 500 calories for breakfast if a person’s daily need is 200 calories.
The study was conducted by researchers at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute in Spain, and was published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, and written about on the Eurek Alert website.
The study followed 383 participants and compared the effects of the Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity versus dietary recommendations alone on cardiovascular disease.
The researchers took two factors into account. First, energy intake from breakfast relative to total daily intake, distinguishing between adequate calorie intake (20-30% of daily total) and other levels.
Second, the researchers analyzed the effects of eating a high-quality breakfast with an appropriate balance of proteins, fats, fiber and other nutrients.
The researchers found that consuming adequate energy intake in the morning and doing so with high-quality food contributed to reducing cardiovascular risk factors.
A good breakfast reduces obesity
The study followed participants for 3 years. All of them were between 55 and 75 years old and were overweight or obese. Various cardiovascular risk factors were assessed, including weight and waist circumference as an indicator of abdominal obesity, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the lipid profile, blood pressure and markers of diabetes.
The results indicate that participants who consumed 20-30% of their daily energy intake in the morning had better outcomes for several risk factors.
Their body weight developed more favorably compared to participants who consumed more or less energy at breakfast. By the end of the study, these participants had a 2-3.5% lower BMI and a 2-4% smaller waist circumference.
Adequate energy intake at breakfast was also associated with significantly lower triglyceride levels (9-18% decrease) and higher HDL cholesterol levels (4-8.5% increase).
Regarding the quality of breakfast, the results were also positive. Participants who ate a high-quality breakfast had a 1.5% smaller waist circumference, 4% lower triglyceride levels, and 3% higher HDL cholesterol levels. A high-quality breakfast includes adequate amounts of protein, high-value fats, fibre, and minerals such as potassium and iron, while avoiding excessive added sugars and saturated fats.
According to Alvaro Hernaz, a researcher at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what you eat and how you eat it matters. Eating controlled amounts – not more or less – and ensuring a good nutritional composition is crucial.” “Our data show that quality is associated with better outcomes for cardiovascular risk factors and it is as important to eat breakfast as it is to eat a high-quality meal.”
Dr. Montes Vito, coordinator of the Cardiovascular Risk and Nutrition Research Group at the Dell Hospital Research Institute, emphasizes that energy adequacy and quality are key to preventing cardiovascular risks. “We confirmed that dietary recommendations around food quality were effective in improving the development of risk factors over time in adults at high cardiovascular risk,” she says.