Men who do not eat breakfast more at risk from diabetes

Tue, 10 Apr 2012
New research has claimed that men who decide to miss out on breakfast could be increasing their chances of developing type 2 diabetes by over a fifth compared with those who normally eat the first meal of the day.

Supporting previous studies supporting the health benefits of a good breakfast, this research, carried out at Harvard School of Public Medicine and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that men who rarely ate breakfast had a 21 per cent increase in diabetes risk compared to those who did.

The scientists examined data on nearly 30,000 men in the United States over a 16-year period, finding that men who were overweight but otherwise had a healthy diet could still face a higher chance of developing diabetes due to missing breakfast. It is thought the reasons were due to breakfast helping to lower levels of bad cholesterol and that those who eat breakfast are thought to be less likely to eat sugary snacks and take less exercise.

However, Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, pointed out "While it is intuitive that eating three healthy balanced meals a day is good for your health, in this study it is not clear what is meant by breakfast or what it consists of." He added, "We recommend a healthy balanced diet, rich in fruit and vegetables and low in sugar, salt and fat, which applies to breakfast and all other main meals."
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