Tag Archives: Breakfast

The Importance of Breakfast Timing for Longevity, According to Major Studies

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As individuals age, having breakfast may be linked to a higher risk of early death, particularly for those in poor health. Recent research involving 3,000 adults indicates this connection.

After tracking participants for an average of 22 years, scientists observed that those who usually ate breakfast later in the morning had a slightly better survival rate in the following year compared to those who ate earlier.

Study participants typically consumed breakfast around 8:20 am, but those who waited until after 9 am were more prone to issues like depression, fatigue, or oral health problems.

“These findings provide new insight into the saying ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day,’ especially for seniors,” stated the authors, including Dr. Hassan Dashti, a nutrition scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“Our research implies that the timing of meals, particularly breakfast for older adults, can be a simple marker for assessing overall health.”

“Moreover, promoting a regular dietary schedule among older adults could be part of a larger strategy to enhance healthy aging and longevity.”

Participants were observed for over 20 years, during which they reported their health status, meal times, and occasionally provided blood samples.

Over time, researchers noticed that people were shifting their breakfast and dinner times later in the day, thereby shortening their overall eating window.

Since this study was observational, it does not definitively prove that delaying breakfast leads to health issues or early mortality; rather, it hints at a potential correlation.

Furthermore, researchers have determined that individuals genetically predisposed to “night owl” behavior are likely to rise and sleep later, consequently eating their meals later as well.

Individuals who practice intermittent fasting often eat breakfast later in the day, allowing their bodies longer periods without food – Credit: via Getty

The authors emphasized the significance of their findings, especially considering the rising trend of intermittent fasting.

“The timing of subsequent meals, particularly delayed breakfast, is connected to health challenges and an increased risk of death among older adults,” Dashti concluded.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Consuming This Breakfast Essential Daily May Help Reduce Cholesterol Levels

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For many years, eggs have been labeled as major contributors to cholesterol problems. However, recent studies indicate that this reputation may be unjust.

In fact, consuming 2 eggs daily is beneficial in reducing “bad” cholesterol levels, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol), often called the “bad” cholesterol, are fatty substances in the bloodstream that can block arteries and heighten the risk of heart disease and stroke. For years, eggs were believed to exacerbate this issue. But new evidence is shifting this perspective.

“Our study’s results indicate that egg consumption does not raise LDL cholesterol levels,” stated Professor John Buckley, the lead author, in an interview with BBC Science Focus. “We need clearer messaging on this topic, as it still leads individuals with rising LDL to avoid eggs.”

To investigate the effects of egg consumption on cholesterol, Buckley and his team had participants with healthy cholesterol levels follow one of three diets over five weeks. One diet was high in saturated fat and cholesterol, another was high in saturated fat but low in cholesterol, and the third was high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat.

Only the meal plan that included two eggs a day resulted in lowered LDL levels. The other two diets either allowed for just one egg per week or led to an actual increase in LDL levels.

Eggs are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat, making them vital for beneficial effects – Credit: Getty/Gregory Adams

“Eggs are among the few foods that are high in cholesterol yet low in saturated fat,” Buckley noted.

“New evidence suggests it isn’t cholesterol but rather saturated fats that negatively impact cholesterol levels, and we are the first study to conclusively demonstrate this.”

An egg-rich diet also showed improvements in other blood lipids associated with heart health, though Buckley emphasizes the need for further research to fully comprehend these changes.

What’s the takeaway? Cholesterol intake from foods doesn’t necessarily correlate with blood cholesterol, particularly when your overall diet is low in saturated fat.

“Most foods high in cholesterol also contain saturated fats,” Buckley explained. “This is a key reason why dietary cholesterol has been vilified; high intake from those foods raises LDL cholesterol, but isolating the independent effects of saturated fats in research has been challenging, and we are working on that now.”

The next time you enjoy breakfast, don’t feel guilty about having a few eggs—just maybe skip that extra serving of bacon.

And what about Buckley himself? “I had eggs for breakfast this morning and didn’t worry about raising my LDL cholesterol,” he shared.

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About our experts

Professor John Buckley is the Executive Dean of the Allied Health and Human Performance Academic Unit at the University of South Australia. His research primarily explores the effects of diet and exercise on health and physical functioning across a variety of groups, from patients to elite athletes.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Boost Your Cognitive Performance with a Walnut-Rich Breakfast

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Mixing 50 grams of walnuts with muesli and yogurt increased faster reaction times throughout the day, and later in the day, according to a team of scientists at USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, a reading university at Tufts University's Aging, which improved memory performance later that day compared to eating a breakfast that suited comparable calories.

Eating walnuts for breakfast can improve brain function in healthy young adults. Image credit: Tim Ulama.

“Diet is one of the most important lifestyle factors that strongly affect cognitive function,” says Professor Claire Williams of the University of Reading and a colleague.

“Therefore, a balanced diet rich in nutrients can improve cognitive function throughout your life.”

“One of the class of foods linked to beneficial cognitive health is the nut family, and several epidemiological studies highlight the positive relationship between regular nut consumption and cognitive function.”

“For example, epidemiological studies, such as the Doetinchem Cohort study, found that levels of nut consumption were positively predicted for memory, processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and global cognitive function in middle-aged adults.

“Preclinical studies have also demonstrated the cognitive benefits of walnut supplementation.”

“Rodent studies have shown that walnuts promote improved working memory performance on Morris' water maze tasks and improve learning and memory performance in elevated and radial arm mazes.”

“The cognitive benefits of walnuts can be due to certain nutrients, as they are known to be high in omega-3 fatty acids, protein/peptides, and flavonoids and polyphenol classes,” they added.

“The main purpose of our study was to determine the cognitive and mood effects of acute consumption of walnut-rich breakfasts in healthy young adults throughout the day, and secondly, to investigate the potential neurological and physiological mechanisms that explain the benefits of cognitive.”

In this study, 32 healthy young adults ages 18-30 consumed both walnut-rich and matched breakfasts on separate occasions.

Participants completed various cognitive tests while monitoring brain activity 6 hours after eating each breakfast.

“Breakfast and some walnuts can give young adults a mental advantage when they need to play at the top of the game,” Professor Williams said.

“It's particularly exciting that this simple diet can make a measurable difference in cognitive performance.”

Brain activity records revealed changes in neural activity suggesting that walnuts may help the brain work more efficiently during challenging mental tasks, and blood samples revealed positive changes in glucose and fatty acid levels.

“Our findings provide evidence of the benefits of reaction time throughout the day after a walnut-rich breakfast, but memory findings were mixed with benefits observed only later in the day,” the researchers said.

“However, more research is needed on how walnut-containing diets modulate cognitive improvement in humans both postpartum and long-term.”

result Published in the journal Food and Function.

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L. Bell et al. The effect of walnut-rich breakfast on daily cognitive performance and brain activity in healthy young adults: a crossover intervention trial. Food functionsPublished online on February 3, 2025. doi:10.1039/d4fo04832f

Source: www.sci.news