Daily breakfast: will skipping a morning meal become a new prognostic marker?

Abstract

The increase in the prevalence of dietary risk factors and non-communicable diseases over the past decades has led to the search for new predictors, one of which is skipping breakfast. The article examines the potential of using the "daily breakfast"/"skipping breakfast" criterion as a prognostic marker. The results of studies on the correlation of daily breakfast with dietary risk factors (obesity and hypertension), type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and the risk of cardiovascular death are presented and analyzed. The effect of breakfast on the depression risk, which is an independent marker of cardiovascular diseases, is being studied. Also, possible pathogenetic mechanisms linking skipping breakfast with increased blood pressure are discussed. Research data is provided confirming the importance of morning meals for health. The article presents data on the prevalence of daily breakfast in the Russian population and in the populations of other countries with developed economies. Information is provided on the history of studying the effect of daily breakfast on health. Also, controversial scientific data is provided on the effect of skipping breakfast on body weight and its effective control. The role of morning meals in weight reduction programs is fully discussed. The issues of connection between the morning meal and daily calorie intake, the nutritional value of consumption of total protein, vitamins and minerals, as well as the uniform meal distribution across the day are considered. Data from a scientific discussion on the criteria for an "ideal" breakfast are presented, and general recommendations on the energy and nutritional value of a morning meal and the optimal composition of food are outlined.