Your mom was right, breakfast is the most important meal of the day–and a new study reveals a very important element you should include in your am meal.
According to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition people who enjoy breakfasts high in protein are less likely to consume foods high in fat or sugar later in the evening.
For the study, 20 overweight or obese women between ages 18 to 20 consumed a breakfast high in protein (35 grams) with eggs and lean beef, low in protein (13 grams) with cereal, or skipped the meal altogether for six days.
On day seven of the experiment, the participants were asked to fill out appetite and satiety questionnaires and also had blood samples drawn. The researchers also examined their brain activity with fMRI brain scans.
The researchers found that the participants who had eaten breakfast felt fuller later on than those who had skipped breakfast. The consumption of breakfast also resulted in a reduction in brain activity responsible for the control of food cravings. Eating a high-protein breakfast also impacted snacking on high-fat or high-sugar foods in the evening, compared with skipping breakfast or eating cereal.
"Eating a protein-rich breakfast impacts the drive to eat later in the day, when people are more likely to consume high-fat or high-sugar snacks," study researcher Heather Leidy, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at the University of Missouri, said in a statement. "These data suggest that eating a protein-rich breakfast is one potential strategy to prevent overeating and improve diet quality by replacing unhealthy snacks with high quality breakfast foods."
The findings are important, as mindful eating strategies emerge as useful tools for combating overweight and obesity.
According to a 2011 survey, as many as 31 million people in the US skip breakfast each day, with men ages 18 to 34 being the most likely to skip breakfast.
Advantages for Breakfast eaters
They're leaner
A 2003 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that people who skip breakfast are 4.5 times more likely to be obese than those who take a morning meal. The study, which included 499 people whose diets were tracked over a year-long period, also showed that eating out for dinner and breakfast are linked with obesity risk.
They're all-around healthier
A study presented in 2003 at the American Heart Association's annual conference showed that not only are breakfast-eaters less likely to be obese, they're also more likely to have good blood sugar levels and less likely to be hungry later on in the day, BBC News reported.
"Our results suggest that breakfast may really be the most important meal of the day," study researcher Dr Mark Pereira, of Harvard Medical School at the time, told BBC News. "It appears that breakfast may play an important role in reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease."
They feel more energised
Eating a breakfast that's high in fiber and carbohydrates could help you feel less tired throughout the day, according to a 1999 study in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. Researchers found that when people ate a high-fiber, low-carb breakfast, they had more energy throughout the day compared with people who ate a high-fat breakfast, WebMD reported.
They have better cholesterol levels
A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that breakfast-skippers are more likely to have worse cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity than breakfast-eaters. The study also showed that the breakfast-eaters consume about 100 fewer calories a day, compared with people who skip their morning meal, CBS News reported.
They remember better
Eating high-energy foods for breakfast could help to boost short-term memory, according to a study of 319 teens (between ages 13 and 20) in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Researchers also found that eating a high-calorie breakfast actually seemed to hinder concentration.
They consume more nutrients
People who rarely eat breakfast consume more fat and fewer nutrients–like calcium, potassium and fiber–than regular breakfast-eaters and "often" breakfast-eaters, according to a 2011 study in the journal Nutrition Research and Practice.
They have an excuse to eat healthy breakfast foods
Breakfast-eaters have an excuse to consume healthy breakfast-time foods like oatmeal, eggs, grapefruit and coffee.
Oatmeal has been shown in many studies to be good for cholesterol levels, and research has also shown that it could help improve children's memory and attention skills when eaten for breakfast, compared with ready-to-eat cereals.
Eating eggs for breakfast has been linked to increased satiety and less food consumed later in the day, compared with eating bagels for breakfast, according to a 2005 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. (The study was funded by the Egg Nutrition Center.) And coffee, of course, has been linked to a whole host of health benefits, from a decreased risk of depression to a lower risk of some cancers and type two diabetes.