Does Breakfast Affect Metabolism? New study has surprising answers

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This belief has been reinforced over the years, with many claiming that calories consumed earlier in the day are less effective than those consumed late at night.

A new study suggests there may be other answers and that meal timing may not matter when it comes to weight loss and weight gain.

The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, claims that there is no difference between eating a lot in the morning and eating in the evening. It also found no link between a rich breakfast and a more active metabolism.

Photo by Brodie Vissers via Burst

The study included different participants, all of whom were healthy but overweight. During half of the study, which lasted four weeks, participants consumed 45% of their allotted calories in the morning, 35% at lunchtime, and 20% at night. For the next four weeks, the schedule was reversed for the same participants, who began consuming most of their calories at night. The clinical study concluded that meal timing had no effect on weight loss.

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The study was very controlled, suggesting that the results were not coincidental. The researchers provided meals for all participants, but also controlled for external factors and monitored energy expenditure and body composition.

While it appears that people’s metabolisms aren’t boosted by a larger meal in the morning, large breakfast eaters felt less hungry throughout the day. This is important for weight loss as it provides a link between a hearty breakfast and appetite control.

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The study presents some interesting evidence that contradicts a multitude of data and research on how human metabolism works. However, these results are not definitive. Researchers say the study may have been hampered by its time constraints, as an eight-week period was not enough to affect metabolism or notice weight fluctuations in the participants.