We've all been told that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day," but not everyone is in agreement as to why this is the case. Your first meal of the day can help speed up your metabolism and, in turn, help you maintain a healthy weight. Fueling your body first thing can set you up with energy for the day ahead, and it can regulate your blood sugar levels. Now, new research shows that a healthy breakfast can also reduce your cardiovascular risk—but only if you eat a certain type of meal.
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A "good-quality breakfast" can better your heart health.
A new peer-reviewed paper published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging (JNHA) found that consuming a "high-quality breakfast with a proper balance of proteins, fats, fiber, and other nutrients" that also accounts for 20 to 30 percent of one's total daily energy (calorie intake) can reduce cardiovascular risk factors.
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what and how you eat it matters," said Álvaro Hernáez, an author of the paper, researcher at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, CIBER for Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), and professor at the Blanquerna Faculty of Health Sciences at Ramon Llull University, in a press release. "Eating controlled amounts—not too much or too little—and ensuring good nutritional composition is crucial. Our data show that quality is associated with better cardiovascular risk factor outcomes. It's as important to have breakfast as it is to have a quality one."
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This breakfast habit is especially important for those who are overweight and 55 or older.
To arrive at their findings, the researchers followed the progress of 383 Spanish participants who were either overweight or obese and between the ages of 55 and 75 for three years. They then evaluated the following cardiovascular risk factors:
- Overall weight
- Waist circumference, which is an indicator of abdominal obesity
- Lipid profile cholesterol and triglyceride levels
- Blood pressure
- Diabetes markers
When looking at those who consumed 20 to 30 percent of their total daily energy (calories) during breakfast, they observed the following after three years:
- A 2 to 3.5 percent lower body mass index
- A 2 to 4 percent smaller waist circumference
- A "significant" 9 to 18 percent reduction in triglyceride levels
- A 4 to 8.5 percent increase in HDL cholesterol levels (the "good" cholesterol)
And when looking at those who consumed a high-quality breakfast—defined as one that includes "the right amounts of protein, high-value fats, fiber, and minerals such as potassium and iron, while avoiding excessive added sugars and saturated fats"—these were their observations:
- A 1.5 percent smaller waist circumference
- A 4 percent reduction in triglyceride levels
- A 3 percent increase in HDL cholesterol levels
Karla-Alejandra Pérez-Vega, a researcher at Hospital del Mar and CIBEROBN, shared: "Promoting healthy breakfast habits can contribute to healthy aging by reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome and associated chronic diseases, thereby improving quality of life."
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A Mediterranean diet could be the key to heart health.
While the research didn't list the specific breakfast foods that participants ate, it's important to note that the Spanish cohort followed the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes healthy fats, lean protein sources, whole grains, and plant-based foods.
Some popular breakfast foods included in this diet are avocado, salmon, olive oil, dark leafy greens, almonds, berries, and Greek yogurt.
"These come as nature made them, without extra added sugar, processed seed oils, chemicals, and additives," registered dietitianKimberly Gomer, MS, RD, LD/N, previously told Best Life.
Plenty of other research has also shown the wide-reaching health benefits of this diet. For example, one study published earlier this year that followed 25,315 women for 25 years found that "higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 23% reduced risk of all-cause mortality."
Moreover, a 2019 review of roughly 50 meta-analyses and studies about the Mediterranean diet concluded that this eating plan is "associated with better cardiovascular health outcomes, including clinically meaningful reductions in rates of coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, and total cardiovascular disease."
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The biggest takeaway:
New research shows that eating a nutritionally balanced breakfast that follows the Mediterranean diet can greatly improve the heart health of older, overweight people. The benefits are greatest when this meal accounts for 20 to 30 percent of one's total daily calories.
Though the study focused on overweight or obese participants between the ages of 55 and 75, there is much evidence to support that this type of healthy eating can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in a more general population set.
Of course, if you plan to change your diet or are concerned about your weight or heart disease risk, always speak with your healthcare provider first.
