It’s often skipped during the morning rush – but making time for breakfast gives women additional health benefits, a study shows.
And what you put into it doesn’t seem to make much difference; Just making breakfast a regular habit is enough to have a dramatic impact on muscle strength.
Scientists found that women who eat breakfast regularly have significantly stronger hand grips than those who skip it. But the same benefit doesn’t apply to men, possibly due to hormonal differences.
Medics say a hand grip can indicate overall health, revealing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The study suggests that eating breakfast may reduce inflammation that can build up in the body overnight and affect muscle strength.
Vitamin D, calcium and magnesium in many breakfast foods can also help.
“Breakfast habits have significant public health implications in preventing the decline of muscle strength,” say the researchers from Southwest University in the Chinese city of Chongqing.
They analyzed data on the hand grips of 25,819 men and women, up to 83 years old, which were revealed using a dynamometer, which measures strength.
A woman eating breakfast cereal (stock image). Scientists found that women who eat breakfast regularly have significantly stronger hand grips than those who skip it
A full English breakfast (stock image). Women who ate breakfast daily had up to 10 percent more grip strength than those who did not
A stack of fresh croissants (stock image). The study suggests that eating breakfast may reduce inflammation that can build up in the body overnight and affect muscle strength
Women who ate breakfast daily had up to 10 percent more grip strength than those who did not.
Only the frequency of eating breakfast seemed to be a factor, the researchers say, and not the amount of food eaten.
They found that a third of people are not regular breakfast eaters.
Previous research has shown that those who regularly skip breakfast have higher levels of chronic inflammation.
An increase in inflammatory substances called cytokines has been linked to a decrease in muscle size and strength.
“It can be speculated that regularly skipping breakfast may have a detrimental effect on muscle strength,” says the study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
It adds that the study is further evidence that muscle strength is declining globally, while related conditions such as type 2 diabetes are becoming increasingly common.