Skipping breakfast disrupts body clock, causes weight gain

Skipping breakfast can disrupt the body's internal clock and cause weight gain, even if one does not overeat for the rest of the day, a study has found.

Irregular eating habits such as skipping breakfast are often associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but the precise impact of meal times on the body's internal clock has been less clear.

Researchers found that the effect of breakfast on the expression of "clock genes" that regulate the post-meal glucose and insulin responses of both healthy individuals and diabetics.

The importance of the body's internal clock and the impact of meal times on the body were the subject of this year's Nobel Prize for Medicine, awarded for the discovery of molecular mechanisms controlling our circadian rhythm.

"Our study shows that breakfast consumption triggers the proper cyclic clock gene expression leading to improved glycaemic control," said the researcher.

"The circadian clock gene not only regulates the circadian changes of glucose metabolism, but also regulates our body weight, blood pressure, endothelial function and atherosclerosis," said the researcher.

"Proper meal timing - such as consuming breakfast before 9:30 am - could lead to an improvement of the entire metabolism of the body, facilitate weight loss, and delay complications associated with type 2 diabetes and other age- related disorders," she said.

For the study, 18 healthy volunteers and 18 obese volunteers with diabetes took part in a test day featuring breakfast and lunch, and in a test day featuring only lunch.

On both days, the researchers conducted blood tests on the participants to measure their postprandial clock gene expression, plasma glucose, insulin and intact glucagon-like peptide-1 (iGLP-1) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) plasma activity.

"Our study showed that breakfast consumption triggers the proper cyclic clock gene expression leading to improved glycaemic control," said the researcher.

"In both healthy individuals and in diabetics, breakfast consumption acutely improved the expression of specific clock genes linked to more efficient weight loss, and was associated with improved glucose and insulin levels after lunch," she said.

In contrast, in test days featuring only lunch - when participants skipped breakfast - the clock genes related to weight loss were down regulated, leading to blood sugar spikes and poor insulin responses for the rest of the day, suggesting also that skipping breakfast leads to weight gain even without the incidence of overeating the rest of the day.

"The fact that we can change the gene's expression in just four hours is very impressive," said the researcher.

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Glycaemic Index and Diabetes

Glycemic Index: What's It All About? Good carbohydrates, bad carbohydrates. Low glycemic index, high glycaemic index. A great tool to help you manage diabetes or lose weight. You might have heard all these statements associated with the glycaemic index. What is this glycaemic index all about? Is it worth considering as a way to help you control your blood sugar levels? The Glycemic Index: Food’s Impact on Blood Sugar in Diabetes Researchers have spent years debating what makes blood sugar levels too high in those with diabetes. Potential culprits have included sugar, carbohydrates in general, simple carbs, starches, and more. The glycaemic index is one attempt to measure each individual food’s effect on blood sugar. If you're trying to lose weight, calories count more than the types of food in your diet. The study shows that after a year, overweight people on a low-carb low-glycemic-index diet lost just as much weight -- 8% of their original weight -- as people on a reduced-fat, high-glycemic-index diet. That suggests there's a range of healthy diets that can promote weight loss successfully. High Glycemic Index Foods Are Linked to Health Problems What researchers have learned is that high glycaemic index foods generally make blood sugar levels higher. In addition, people who eat a lot of high glycaemic index foods tend to have greater levels of body fat, as measured by the body mass index (BMI). High BMIs are linked to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. High glycaemic index foods include many carbohydrates such as these: White bread Pasta Rice Low-fibre cereals Baked goods Low Glycemic Index Foods Are Healthier Choices Low glycaemic index foods generally have less of an impact on blood sugar levels. People who eat a lot of low glycaemic index foods tend to have lower total body fat levels. Low glycaemic index foods include these: Fruits Vegetables Whole and minimally processed grains Legumes Glycemic Index and Your Diet You can find lists of low (good), medium, and high (bad) glycaemic index foods on the Internet or in books. A dietician can also point you to lists of these foods. Choose foods from the low and medium end of the glycaemic index as often as you can. Avoid foods high on the glycaemic index. But what can you do if you need to eat and a glycaemic index food list is not available? Keep this general principle in mind: Unprocessed foods tend to have lower glycaemic indices than refined foods. Many packaged food products list the glycaemic index, although it is not required. For reference, use this glycaemic index chart to interpret the numbers: Low (good) glycaemic index levels: 55 or less Medium glycaemic index levels: 56–69 High (bad) glycaemic index levels: 70 or higher Factors That Alter the Glycemic Index Knowing whether a particular food has a low or high glycemic index is a great start. However, several factors can change a particular food’s glycemic index: The other foods eaten at the same time Other components of a food, such as the amount of protein or fat How the food was prepared Your own body’s reaction to the food You may want to work with a dietitian to learn more about combining and preparing foods to achieve the lowest glycaemic index levels in your diet plan. It is recommended that about 40% of total caloric intake be from carbohydrates. Want to Give the Glycemic Index a Try? Many people have found the glycemic index to be a useful tool for controlling blood sugar or for losing weight. If you want to try the glycemic index as well, talk to your doctor. He or she may refer you to a dietitian, who can give you specific steps to follow as well as tips to make using the glycemic index easier. ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies. ps- those interested in recipes are free to view my blog- http://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/ for info about knee replacement, you can view my blog- http://Knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com/ for crochet designs http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com