Larger breakfast size tied to lower risk of metabolic syndrome: Study

The study showed that the adults in the highest quartile of breakfast size had a 38% lower prevalence of MetS versus those in the lowest quartile. Large breakfast size was associated with a significantly lower risk of hyperglycaemia (OR, 0.56), hypertension (OR, 0.57), and abdominal obesity (OR, 0.59).

In addition, late breakfast (after 9 am) and taking meals four or more times a day are linked with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome.

Worldwide, there has been a rapid increase in the trends and prevalence of MetS, along with the prevalence of insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Various factors such as unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, and genetics have been linked with an increasing MetS prevalence.

Breakfast is the most important meal, and many studies have assessed the harmful effects of skipping breakfast on health outcomes. Besides the size of the breakfast, its macronutrient composition and quality have been studied in recent years concerning individual metabolism biomarkers, glycemic control, and cardiometabolic health.

Against the above background, Leila Lujan-Barroso and colleagues from Spain aimed to cross-sectionally assess the association between breakfast size and the MetS prevalence in Spanish adults.

The study included a subset of 3644 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Spain study recontacted between 2017–2018. Information on sleep quality, lifestyle, sociodemographics, and diet was collected using questionnaires. At the same time, a nurse measured blood pressure and anthropometric data in a face-to-face personal interview.

Metabolic syndrome was defined per the ATPIII (Adult Treatment Panel III) definition by measuring serum glucose levels, triglycerides, and cholesterol. The team evaluated the association between breakfast size and MetS prevalence. The breakfast size was calculated as energy from breakfast/total energy intake * 2000 kcal.

The study reported the following findings:

• In the study, the prevalence of MetS was 40.7%.
• The mean breakfast size was 306.6 * 2000 kcal (15% of the total daily energy intake), with 0.4% of people skipping breakfast.
• People in the highest quartile of breakfast size had a lower MetS prevalence than those in the lowest quartile (ORQ4vsQ1 = 0.62).
• The researchers observed no modification of the estimated ORs by sex, breakfast time, and the number of eating occasions per day.

"Our findings show that large breakfast size is associated with total daily energy intake and decreased MetS prevalence," the researchers wrote.

"The findings stress the importance of breakfast size as a potential strategy for reducing MetS prevalence since adequate meal timing and energy distribution during the day are not easy to achieve in modern societies."

"Further research in randomized control trial or prospective studies in the general adult population are required to confirm the role of breakfast size concerning metabolic syndrome if any.

Reference:

Lujan-Barroso, L.; Iglesias, L.; Zamora-Ros, R.; Lasheras, C.; Sánchez, M.-J.; Cabrera-Castro, N.; Delfrad, J.; Amiano, P.; Molina-Montes, E.; Colorado-Yohar, S.; Moreno-Iribas, C.; Dorronsoro, A.; Rodríguez-Barranco, M.; Chirlaque, M.D.; Aizpurua, A.; Agudo, A.; Quirós, J.R.; Jakszyn, P. Breakfast Size and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Spanish Cohort. Nutrients 2023, 15, 630. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030630