There is a myth that breakfast is necessary to remain healthy. Many advocators of breakfast claimed that beginning your day with a good meal helps to boost the brain, stimulate metabolism and perhaps also help in reducing the extra pounds. All these are good arguments in favor of eating breakfast, but findings of studies undertaken recently prove otherwise.
There are several reasons for skipping breakfast and it is suggested that going without breakfast or observing an occasional fast is healthy for the body. When you fast, it not only helps to improve metabolism, detoxify the body, but also burn out the stored fats in the body, Thrillist reported.
Here are a few reasons suggesting that not only demolishes the myth about the benefits of taking breakfast, but also point out the advantages of skipping breakfast.
No study has shown that breakfast helps to increase the metabolic process, neither has any study shown that skipping breakfast or fasting decreases metabolism. On the contrary, skipping breakfast may provide the body with the much needed break and help it to reinvigorate the metabolic process. In fact intermittent fasting helps to increase metabolism somewhat, Strong Lifts suggested.
Contrary to the belief that absence of breakfast leads to muscle breakdown, it has been proved that our body does not require proteins every three hours. Therefore, there is no risk of losing muscle if one doesn't eat every 3 hours, as is the case when we are sleeping.
At the same time, breakfast does not help in managing the blood sugar levels properly. The common belief is that breakfast raises the blood sugar levels, thereby helping to control the insulin levels. While insulin is vital for muscle growth, it also leads to fat storage. On the other hand, fasting helps to lower the insulin levels, while considerably increasing insulin sensitivity. In fact, it has been found that diabetics are able to control their blood sugar levels by occasional fasting.
It is interesting to note that breakfast impairs concentration. Several studies have shown that fasting for 48 hours does not have any negative impact on the cognitive system. Breakfast is not essential for mental alertness and many people, particularly students, go without breakfast as they are aware that it will make them more productive, concentrated and motivated.