BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Eat Your Breakfast!!!

Credit: meglet127 Flickr

I was always told that Breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and I thought that was because breakfast gave me the brain food I needed to be able to function in school. While this is a big reason to eat breakfast, The New York Times has just posted an article describing another reason to eat breakfast. Lowering your risk for Type 2 Diabetes !

Diabetes is a disorder concerning metabolism. More specifically, Diabetes refers to a “malfunction” in the way that our cells react to insulin produced by the pancreas. Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, and occurs when the pancreas is either not producing enough insulin, or our cells aren’t reacting correctly to the insulin our pancreas is producing.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted a study in which 29,000 men were followed for 16 years, with their eating habits being closely watched. Over the course of this study, about 2,000 of these men developed type 2 diabetes. The researchers concluded that those who skipped breakfast had a 21% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than the others.

There are two theories as to why this may be. First, some scientists believe that a morning meal helps stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day. Another theory claims that by skipping breakfast, people partake in increased snacking throughout the day, and their intake of sugary snack food dramatically increases.

So think about it! How many of you have skipped breakfast, only to run to the college office scourging for any food you can find? Rather than eat tons of junk throughout the day to compensate for all the real meals you’ve been skipping, try starting your day just a little earlier to fit in a healthy breakfast. You’ll notice the benefits immediately!

For More information on Healthy Breakfasts, Check out this link: http://www.breakfastpanel.org/what-makes-a-good-breakfast

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3 Comments

  1. nyrtac2012

    Great advice! It is always a good idea to start the day with a good breakfast. I know that personally, when I skip breakfast I am absolutely more prone to snacking (and sometimes with not very healthy food) throughout the day. I have always been interested in the differences between Diabetes type 1 and 2. If you are too, take a look at this site for Type 1 Diabetes.
    http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-1/
    Surprisingly, it says that only 5% of people who have diabetes have type 1! You will find many more facts and information about Type 1 diabetes at this site, so check it out!

  2. aminoalix

    OY!
    This is a crazy post, especially since I do not like to often eat breakfast. My mom always warns me that there are risks to not eating the first meal of the day, but I always thought it was because of brain function too!

    Here are some other risks to not eating breakfast. Check them out!
    http://www.bestofhealth.com/np/Previous/Sep03/breakfst.html

  3. sweetasglucose

    Wow! It’s nice to FINALLY have a reason as to why to eat breakfast. Breakfast has never been my favorite meal of the day, but I will now take time to eat breakfast in the morning. I came across some other great reason to eat breakfast (check out this article:http://www.mrbreakfast.com/article.asp?articleid=7)

    I am actually not surprised that eating breakfast helps prevent Diabetes Type 2. Eating right and exercise very basic things have proven to be most effective in preventing Diabetes.

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