Skipping your Breakfast may lead to cancer; See what Experts say about it

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• Sep 29, 2023 | Poonam Nath

Over time, skipping breakfast can lead to a variety of health problems from weakened glucose levels ...

Digital Desk: Breakfast is acknowledged as the most important meal of the day since it boosts your energy levels and short-term concentration. People who routinely miss breakfast are more likely to get certain types of cancer than those who have their morning meal regularly. 

According to a new study, people who reported not having their morning meal had an increased risk of oesophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, gallbladder cancer, and extrahepatic bile duct cancer when compared to those who ate breakfast every day. 

Researchers found that people who rarely ate breakfast were younger, and a higher percentage used to smoke, were fat, led a sedentary lifestyle, and had higher cholesterol levels in an earlier investigation performed by the National Health and Nutrition Examination investigation.

Breakfast deprivation has been linked to poor glucose metabolism, chronic inflammation, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. In this prospective cohort study, Chinese researchers looked at the relationship between breakfast frequency and gastrointestinal (GI) cancer risk in 63,000 adults who did not have cancer at the start.

Skipping breakfast, according to dietitian Shweta Gupta, Unit Head-Dietetics, Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh, can increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancer because it impairs glucose metabolism, causes chronic inflammation, and can lead to tumour progression through processes such as oxidation and gene mutation, altered microbiome, risk of esophageal cancers, colorectal cancers, and stomach cancers.

We all know that to start a day it's more important to have your breakfast on time. Here's what Dietitian Shweta Gupta explains, skipping it on a regular basis has a number of negative consequences:

• It may lead to poor blood glucose levels: If you skip your morning meal, you will feel lethargic, irritable, and have poor energy levels. You may also have headaches and migraines. It can potentially lead to type 2 diabetes in the long run.

• Metabolism slows: The body begins to store as many calories as possible in preparation for a potential emergency.

• An increase in stress hormone levels: Skipping breakfast can have a detrimental impact on cortisol levels, the essential stress hormone.

• Encourages weight gain: Skipping breakfast can cause you to overeat during the day, consuming extra calories, saturated fats, simple sugars, and carbohydrates.

• Increased risk of heart disease: Skipping breakfast can raise susceptibility to hypertension and high cholesterol levels, which can lead to artery clogging.

• Can cause hair loss.

• Affects cognitive functions: Low glucose levels in the brain might make it difficult to focus or concentrate.

• Skipping breakfast can harm the immune system by destroying immune cells.

• It can produce digestive symptoms such as bloating, gastritis, or acidity.

How does Breakfast play a role in having good and well-maintained health?

According to Shweta Gupta, having breakfast is critical for boosting brainpower, and metabolism, and providing the body with essential nutrients.

• Eating breakfast can help restore glycogen and stabilise insulin levels. Restock the glucose supply to increase energy and alertness.

• It contains important nutrients for healthy health.

• Eating breakfast increases brainpower by providing the brain with the necessary glucose and nutrients to function correctly.

• Consuming breakfast boosts metabolism, promotes weight loss, and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic problems.

• Eating breakfast can help your body burn more calories throughout the day.

• Eating breakfast lowers cortisol levels, which promotes a pleasant mood and happiness.

Here's what you can add to your healthy Breakfast meal-

• You can add raw or soaked nuts and eat Fresh fruits.

• Smoothies made with fresh fruits and vegetables, natural yoghurt, and milk.

• Hard-boiled eggs or an egg omelette

• Porridges with veggies added and milk porridges

• Muesli with milk, fruits, nuts and seeds

• Poha, upma, besan chilla, thepla, idli, vermicelli, and other similar dishes.

Breakfast and non-breakfast eaters had equal daily caloric intakes. Still, the calories ingested by the latter groups had a substantially higher percentage of harmful fats and a smaller amount of proteins and carbs.

As a result, daily dietary choices and other aspects of living habits are one of the primary causes of the study's findings.