10 Health Benefits Of Breakfast

1. Breakfast keeps you lean

A study from the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who skipped breakfast were 4.5 times more likely to be obese. Those who miss their morning meal are more likely to overeat later in the day and more likely to reach for high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks, say experts.

2. Breakfast revs your metabolism

Your metabolism slows down as you sleep, so there's nothing like a healthy breakfast to jump-start it for the day. Regular breakfast eaters burn an average of 150 more calories than breakfast skippers, according to a Mayo Clinic research.

3. Breakfast lowers your cholesterol levels

Eating the morning meal may help promote cardiovascular health. Studies have shown that breakfast-skipping adults and children had higher blood cholesterol levels than breakfast eaters.

4. Breakfast enhances immune system

Researchers at Cardiff University showed that people who regularly ate breakfast were less likely to suffer colds, flu and other respiratory tract illnesses than breakfast-skippers.

5. Breakfast reduces risk of diabetes

Breakfast eaters are half as likely to have a blood-sugar problem, which increases your risk of suffering from diabetes, according to a study by the Harvard Medical School.

6. Breakfast boosts brain power

A study in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that eating high-energy foods for breakfast could help boost short-term memory. After a night of fasting, eating first thing in the morning provides a fresh supply of glucose to fuel the brain.

7. Breakfast helps you meet your nutritional needs

Many breakfast foods (such as eggs, dairy, fortified cereals and whole grains) are very good sources of essential nutrients like folate, calcium, iron, B vitamins and fiber. Eating these helps you meet nutritional recommendations, which many people can find difficult to get elsewhere if they are just having two meals a day.

8. Breakfast energizes

Eating a breakfast that's high in fiber and carbohydrates could help you feel less tired throughout the day, according to a 1999 study in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.

9. Breakfast improves your mood

Regular breakfast eaters are less likely to be emotionally distressed or depressed, according to a study by the University of Bristol. You're also less likely to be grouchy when you aren't distracted by hunger pangs.

10. Breakfast may increase your lifespan

Studies showed that people who lived to be 100 years old consume breakfast more regularly than those who don't. Since we know that breakfast is associated with a whole host of health benefits, this shouldn't come as a surprise.

source: http://sg.shoppinglifestyle.com/health/slideshow/10-health-benefits-breakfast/2290/1/