1.
The Association between Breakfast Skipping and Body Weight, Nutrient Intake, and Metabolic Measures among Participants with Metabolic Syndrome.
Zhang, L, Cordeiro, LS, Liu, J, Ma, Y
Nutrients. 2017;9(4)
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There is conflicting evidence on the benefits of either skipping breakfast versus the idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This study examines the effects of skipping breakfast on weight loss in a group of 240 participants diagnosed as having Metabolic syndrome (MetS). The study looked at data from a diet trial looking at the effects of a high fibre diet or the American Heart Association diet on MetS, in which they all also monitored breakfast eating patterns, to see if there was any change to body weight, nutrient intakes, and selected metabolic measures. The study lasted one year, and dietary recalls were collected throughout. The results showed that at the start of the trial 32.9% of the participants self-reported regularly skipped breakfast and generally they had lower levels of vitamins B1, B3 and folate intake. They also had a higher fat intake compared to those who ate breakfast. However, at the end of the year there was no statistical differences between those who ate and those who skipped breakfast when it came to the other metabolic parameters of weight, BMI, weight circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, and fasting glucose. Interestingly at the end of the trial only 14% reported skipping breakfast suggesting that participants had the intention to change their eating patterns because of having participated in the trial. The study concluded that skipping breakfast alone was not enough to influence MetS.
Abstract
The effect of skipping breakfast on health, especially in adults, remains a controversial topic. A secondary data analysis was conducted to examine associations between breakfast eating patterns and weight loss, nutrient intake, and metabolic parameters among participants with metabolic syndrome (MetS) (n = 240). Three randomly selected 24-h dietary recalls were collected from each participant at baseline and at the one-year visit. Skipped breakfast was seen in 32.9% at baseline and in 17.4% at the one-year visit, respectively. At baseline, after adjustment for demographics and physical activity, participants who ate breakfast had a higher thiamin, niacin, and folate intake than did breakfast skippers (p < 0.05); other selected parameters including body weight, dietary quality scores, nutrient intake, and metabolic parameters showed no significant differences between the two groups (p ≥ 0.05). From baseline to one year, after adjustment for covariates, mean fat intake increased by 2.7% (95% confidence intervals (CI): -1.0, 6.5%) of total energy in breakfast skippers in comparison to the 1.2% decrease observed in breakfast eaters (95% CI: -3.4, 1.1%) (p = 0.02). Mean changes in other selected parameters showed no significant differences between breakfast skippers and eaters (p > 0.05). This study did not support the hypothesis that skipping breakfast has impact on body weight, nutrient intakes, and selected metabolic measures in participants with MetS.
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Hype or Reality: Should Patients with Metabolic Syndrome-related NAFLD be on the Hunter-Gatherer (Paleo) Diet to Decrease Morbidity?
Tarantino, G, Citro, V, Finelli, C
Journal of gastrointestinal and liver diseases : JGLD. 2015;24(3):359-68
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Hunter-Gatherers (HG) during the Paleolithic period, from about 2.5 million to 10,000 years BC, fed mainly on meat, organ meats, fish, insects, roots, green vegetables, seasonal fruit and nuts, whilst grains and dairy were only introduced as a main part of the human diet with the agricultural revolution approximately 10,000 years ago. It is thought that eating a diet that is in disagreement with our evolutionary physiological heritage contributes to the increase seen in non-communicable diseases, especially type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This review article evaluates the existing evidence of the potential benefits of following an HG (Paleo) type diet in terms of the above mentioned conditions which are based on metabolic disturbances and in comparison with other dietary strategies, such as the Mediterranean diet and low fat diets. The authors come to the conclusion that a diet resembling a paleolithic diet might be an acceptable antidote to the typical (unhealthy) Western diet, but that more research from randomised controlled trials is needed to support this hypothesis.
Abstract
The current Western diet figures centrally in the pathogenesis of several chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and the emerging major health problem nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, all of them negatively impacting on life expectancy. This type of diet is represented by a high calorie uptake, high glycemic load, high fat and meat intake, as well as increased consumption of fructose. On the contrary, a simplified way of eating healthily by excluding highly-processed foods, is presumed to be the Paleolithic diet (a diet based on vegetables, fruits, nuts, roots, meat, organ meats) which improves insulin resistance, ameliorates dyslipidemia, reduces hypertension and may reduce the risk of age-related diseases. The diet is the foundation of the treatment of obesity- and type 2 diabetes-related nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and a diet similar to those of pre-agricultural societies may be an effective option. To lend sufficient credence to this type of diet, well-designed studies are needed.