Eating breakfast like this can actually accelerate aging? A change in breakfast can reduce the risk of disease!

What time do you usually have breakfast every day? Some people get up early in the morning and finish their breakfast early; while some people get up late and often have breakfast at 9 or 10 o'clock, which is almost time for lunch.

As the saying goes, "A day's plan begins in the morning", breakfast is very important for maintaining health, especially the time to eat breakfast. Recent studies have found that eating breakfast too late will accelerate aging.

Eating this breakfast will actually accelerate aging?

A study published in the journal Food & Function in June 2024 showed that eating breakfast too late can accelerate aging. People who eat breakfast late show a greater biological age of the body and a higher incidence of accelerated aging.

Research screenshots

The study analyzed 16,531 participants with an average age of 46.5 years and calculated their phenotypic age to reflect their actual body age.

Study diagram.

The study found that people who eat breakfast later will accelerate biological aging. Compared with those who eat breakfast at 6:14 in the morning, those who start their first meal at 10:26 show a greater biological age and a 25% increase in the incidence of accelerated aging.

The researchers said that according to the definition of breakfast, no later than 10 a.m., those who eat breakfast after 10 a.m. can be considered as breakfast skippers. The results show that people who skip breakfast or eat breakfast late will accelerate aging.

There is also a golden time for breakfast

One hour earlier reduces the risk of disease

One change in breakfast can reduce the risk of disease - eat breakfast one hour earlier!

A study covering more than 100,000 people published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in 2023 found that compared with people who accustomed to eating breakfast before 8 a.m., people who eat breakfast after 9 a.m. have a higher probability of developing type 2 diabetes, which is 59% higher!

Research screenshots

The researchers divided all participants into three groups based on different breakfast times:

(1) People who eat breakfast before 8:00: 44.77%

(2) People who eat breakfast between 8 and 9 o’clock: 35.78%

(3) People who eat breakfast after 9 o'clock: 19.45%

Compared with those who ate breakfast before 8 a.m., participants who ate breakfast after 9 a.m. had a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes! The researchers said that skipping breakfast affects blood sugar and blood lipid control, as well as insulin levels.

In addition, the study found that eating the first meal before 8 a.m. and the last meal before 7 p.m. may help reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Eating dinner later also slightly increased the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Many people don’t eat the right breakfast.

Remember a nutritional formula

Breakfast should not only be eaten early, but also nutritious! How to eat nutritious breakfast? In an interview with Modern Express in 2023, registered dietitian Li Yuanyuan pointed out that there is a formula to remember for breakfast:

“1+1+1+1”

That is, cereals and tubers, vegetables and fruits, animal foods (meat, fish, eggs, and milk), and beans/nuts. Breakfast should preferably include 3 or more of the above 4 types of food.

Nutritionists have also provided nutritional upgrade adjustment plans for the six traditional breakfasts that many people often eat:

1

Egg-filled pancakes: protein and carbohydrates, but not enough vegetables

Suggestion: Pair it with a portion of light vegetables and a glass of milk or yogurt, and the nutrition will be balanced instantly. As a meal, the total amount of fat will also be moderated. If time is tight, it is also good to pair it with a tomato or an orange and a box of yogurt.

2

Multigrain pancakes: There are multigrain and eggs, but the pancakes are too thin and oily

Suggestion: choose not to add crispy crust, use less sauce, add more lettuce or bring a tomato, and have it with a glass of milk.

3

Fried dough sticks and soy milk: Soy products are very filling, but fried dough sticks are too oily

Suggestion: A cup of soy milk and half a fried dough stick are enough, and a light vegetable salad with an egg is much better. In addition to vegetables, you can also add corn kernels and red kidney beans to the salad. You can also drink a cup of yogurt or milk as a snack.

4

Steamed buns + porridge: some are dry and some are watery, lacking protein and vegetables

Suggestion: It is best to have multi-grain porridge, for example, add quinoa, oatmeal, red beans, peas and other whole grains and beans to rice or millet. The steamed buns can be a combination of meat and vegetables. Then add a cheese salad and an egg to greatly improve the nutritional balance.

5

Bread + coffee: single nutrition, lack of fruits, vegetables and protein

Recommendation: It is best to choose bread without sugar and low in fat, such as black bread, multi-grain bread, whole wheat bread, etc., and avoid fancy breads such as butter bread, croissants, meat floss bread, etc. Choose coffee without sugar. In addition to bread, you can also pair it with an egg, a portion of nuts, and a portion of green vegetables. Coffee can be made into milk coffee by adding some milk.

6

Biscuits + milk/yogurt: low in carbohydrates, high in sugar and oil

Suggestion: Pair it with an egg or a few pieces of meat and a portion of seasonal vegetables to improve nutrition. It would be even better if you replace the biscuits with healthier red bean buns, steamed corn bread, or multi-grain bean buns.

References

[1]Wang Y, Li F, Li X, et al, (2024). Breakfast skipping and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality among adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Food Funct. 15(11):5703-5713. doi: 10.1039/d3fo05705d.

[2] 2024-07-17 Medical Novi "Huazhong University of Science and Technology study found that skipping breakfast may accelerate aging and increase the risk of death"

[3]Associations of meal timing, number of eating occasions and night-time fasting duration with incidence of type 2 diabetes in the NutriNet-Santé cohort. International Journal of Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyad081

[4] 2023-09-16 Modern Express All Media "What's the best breakfast? A nutritionist born after 1985 shares 231 different breakfast recipes"

Planning and production

Source: Health Times

Review｜Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert

Editor: Yang Yaping

Proofread by Xu Lai and Lin Lin