The Biggest Breakfast Myth
Our bodies did not evolve to process 150 additional pounds of sugar per year. In America, luxury is too much of a good thing. Hence, it makes sense that our bodies are chronically burdened. This manifests over time and may be why we see the astronomical array of symptoms clinically. These symptoms ultimately lead to morbidity and mortality.
Today, I see a lot of scepticism when it comes to the most important meal of the day, breakfast. Should I eat breakfast? Should I skip it and have a big lunch? Is coffee okay? The list goes on.
What I would like to emphasize first is that in America, breakfast is practically synonymous with dessert. Breakfasts like these are as deceptive as they are insidious; they will rob you from your ultimate health over time.
I don’t want this for you, which is why I’ve written ad nauseam about the negative effects of sugar in several blog posts, for your review:
What is a Health, Well-Balanced Diet? | Part 1
What is a Health, Well-Balanced Diet? | Part 2
The Truth About Diabetes and How Common it is
7 Ways We Are Harming Our Liver
Unfortunately, a lot of the science cited in cereal commercials and scientific articles has a similar source. You only need to read the small print.
For example, a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition concluded that breakfast skipping is not an effective way to manage weight loss, and that a better option is to eat cereal or quick breads for breakfast, since it is associated with a significantly lower body mass index compared to skipping breakfast or eating meat/eggs for breakfast (Cho et al., 2003). The problem is that the research article was funded by the Kellogg company.
Another study from the Journal of Nutritional Science found that skipping breakfast lead to high cholesterol in overweight individuals but a breakfast of oat or frosted corn flakes did not (Geliebter et al., 2014). But this, too, was funded by another major breakfast maker, Quaker Oats. Quaker Oats both contributed to the study design and edited the manuscript. That’s like having your best friend grade your final exam.
Health claims that companies make on food packaging rarely match what the scientific literature says, but consumers still make purchasing decisions based on the manufacturers claims (André, Chandon, & Haws, 2019). Because many manufacturers print claims that steer consumers in one direction, I ask you to question, What does my body really need to fully thrive and live up to its greatest potential? I highly doubt it’s something packaged in a box on a shelf.
At the end of the day, remember that there is an alarming amount of research out there that is funded by breakfast makers, and their ill-formed claims are ultimately tricking people and harming their health. Don’t believe everything you read. Cereal companies depend on people believing that breakfast means ready-to-eat healthy grains. Everyday. All year long.
Can you think of other companies that depend on you believing something that might not necessarily be true? Avoid making decisions based on perceptions because many alleged health claims do not always correspond with a product's actual nutritional status and/or health benefits. In fact, high sugar breakfasts, like cereal, will likely have the opposite effect you want.
If you need help creating a life-sustaining breakfast or are trying to incorporate healthier options into your daily routine, please CONTACT US TODAY! Advanced Health is here to help. Let’s work together to get you on the path to lifelong wellness.
References
André, Q., Chandon, P., & Haws, K. (2019). Healthy Through Presence or Absence, Nature or Science?: A Framework for Understanding Front-of-Package Food Claims. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 38(2), 172-191.
Cho, S., Dietrich, M., Brown, C. J., Clark, C. A., & Block, G. (2003). The effect of breakfast type on total daily energy intake and body mass index: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 22(4), 296-302.
Geliebter, A., Astbury, N. M., Aviram-Friedman, R., Yahav, E., & Hashim, S. (2014). Skipping breakfast leads to weight loss but also elevated cholesterol compared with consuming daily breakfasts of oat porridge or frosted cornflakes in overweight individuals: a randomised controlled trial. Journal of nutritional science, 3.
AUTHOR
Dr. Payal Bhandari M.D. is one of U.S.'s top leading integrative functional medical physicians and the founder of SF Advanced Health. She combines the best in Eastern and Western Medicine to understand the root causes of diseases and provide patients with personalized treatment plans that quickly deliver effective results. Dr. Bhandari specializes in cell function to understand how the whole body works. Dr. Bhandari received her Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1997 and Doctor of Medicine degree in 2001 from West Virginia University. She the completed her Family Medicine residency in 2004 from the University of Massachusetts and joined a family medicine practice in 2005 which was eventually nationally recognized as San Francisco’s 1st patient-centered medical home. To learn more, go to www.sfadvancedhealth.com.