The Simple Way To Keep Blood Sugar Low: Breakfast
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The Simple Way To Keep Blood Sugar Low: Breakfast
Summary: The Simple Way To Keep Blood Sugar Low – Eat Breakfast
Dr. Jesse Santiano presents compelling evidence from multiple studies showing that eating breakfast is a simple yet powerful strategy to maintain healthy blood sugar levels throughout the day. This holds true for healthy individuals, those with metabolic syndrome, and people with type 2 diabetes.
🔬 The Body’s Morning Hormonal Surge
- Before waking up, the body naturally releases counter-regulatory hormones like:
- Cortisol
- Adrenaline
- Glucagon
- Growth hormone
- These hormones increase blood sugar and blood pressure, ensuring energy and stability when getting out of bed.
- Eating breakfast suppresses these hormones through insulin release, restoring hormonal balance.
- Skipping breakfast allows these stress hormones to persist, keeping blood sugar levels elevated all day.
🧍♂️ Study #1: Healthy Men Have Higher Blood Sugar When Skipping Breakfast
Study by Ogata et al.
- Participants: 10 healthy men, aged 22–29.
- Method: Compared blood sugar on days with and without breakfast.
- Key Findings:
- Post-meal blood sugar was significantly higher when breakfast was skipped.
- Blood sugar remained elevated even at 11:00 PM.
- Physical activity dropped by the sixth day of breakfast skipping.
- Participants overate at lunch and dinner to compensate for the missed calories.
- Chronically high post-meal blood sugar is linked to atherosclerosis, a precursor to heart attacks and strokes.
⚠️ Study #2: Metabolic Syndrome Gets Worse Without Breakfast
Study by Nas et al.
- Participants: 17 adults with metabolic syndrome.
- Method: Randomized controlled crossover with 3 conditions:
- Skipping breakfast (BSD)
- Skipping dinner (DSD)
- Normal 3-meal day (control)
- Diet: Same daily calories (55% carbs, 30% fat, 15% protein)
Findings:
- BSD and DSD both increased daily energy expenditure (BSD +41 kcal; DSD +91 kcal).
- Skipping breakfast led to more fat loss (+16g/day).
- But, it increased insulin resistance and blood sugar:
- Post-meal insulin resistance index was up 54%.
- Post-lunch blood sugar was up 46%.
- Skipping breakfast made white blood cells more pro-inflammatory, increasing cytokines like:
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α)
➡️ Pro-inflammatory WBCs + high glucose = chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension).
👩👦 Study #3: Korean National Survey (22,699 participants)
2016–2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
- Skipping breakfast (but eating lunch and dinner) increased:
- Fasting glucose
- Triglycerides
- Metabolic syndrome
- Abdominal obesity in men
- Women who skipped dinner instead of breakfast had better blood sugar control.
- Men who skipped lunch (but not breakfast) had higher fasting glucose.
Conclusion:
Skipping breakfast was consistently linked with metabolic syndrome, while skipping dinner was less harmful or even beneficial.
🩺 Study #4: Type 2 Diabetics and Breakfast
Israeli Study: 22 diabetic patients
- Participants: Average age ~57, HbA1c ~7.7%, BMI ~28 (overweight)
- Design: Cross-over trial with two test days:
- YesB (breakfast + lunch + dinner)
- NoB (lunch + dinner only)
After Lunch (on the no-breakfast day):
- Their blood sugar was much higher than when they ate breakfast.
- The body released more fat into the bloodstream, which isn’t ideal for people with diabetes.
- Hormones that raise blood sugar increased, while hormones that lower blood sugar decreased.
After Dinner:
- The pattern continued: blood sugar and fat levels stayed higher, and the hormones that help manage these levels were still lower.
- Their bodies were slower to respond with insulin, which meant blood sugar stayed high for longer periods.
Bottom Line:
When people with type 2 diabetes skip breakfast, they experience higher blood sugar after lunch and dinner, and their bodies have a harder time bringing those sugar levels back down. This can make diabetes harder to manage and increase the risk of long-term complications.
Conclusion:
Type 2 diabetics who skip breakfast have higher post-meal blood sugars after lunch and dinner and delayed insulin response, increasing the risk of complications.
🧠 Why This Matters
- High post-meal blood sugar is more dangerous than fasting blood sugar.
- It leads to:
- Atherosclerosis
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Chronic inflammation
- High blood sugar fuels white blood cells to produce cytokines that damage organs and blood vessels.
💡 Practical Takeaway
- For optimal metabolic health, always eat breakfast—especially if:
- You are healthy and want to stay that way
- You have metabolic syndrome
- You have type 2 diabetes
- If intermittent fasting is practiced, skip or lighten dinner, not breakfast.
📝 Final Thought
“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” — Adelle Davis
Madaling Paraan Para Panatilihing Mababa ang Blood Sugar: Kumain ng Almusal
Ipinakita ni Dr. Jesse Santiano, gamit ang ilang pag-aaral, na ang pagkain ng almusal ay isa sa pinakamabisang paraan para mapanatiling normal ang blood sugar buong araw. Napatunayan ito sa mga malulusog na tao, may metabolic syndrome, at may type 2 diabetes.
🧠 Natural na Hormonal Response sa Umaga
- Bago pa magising, ang katawan ay nagpapakawala ng mga “counter-regulatory hormones” tulad ng:
- Cortisol
- Adrenaline
- Glucagon
- Growth hormone
- Layunin ng mga hormone na ito na itaas ang blood sugar at blood pressure upang maghanda ang katawan sa paggising at paggalaw.
- Kapag kumain ng almusal, tataas ang insulin, bababa ang mga stress hormones, at magiging balanse ang blood sugar.
- Kapag hindi kumain ng almusal, mananatili ang cortisol at adrenaline → taas ang blood sugar buong araw.
👨🔬 Pag-aaral #1: Mas Mataas ang Blood Sugar ng mga Lalaki na Hindi Nag-aalmusal
Ogata et al.
- Mga kalahok: 10 malulusog na lalaki, edad 22–29.
- Disenyo: Kinumpara ang blood sugar sa araw na may almusal at araw na wala.
- Resulta:
- Mas mataas ang post-meal blood sugar kapag walang almusal.
- Mas mataas pa rin ang blood sugar kahit gabi na (11 PM).
- Bumaba ang physical activity pagkalipas ng ilang araw ng fasting.
- Mas madami silang kumain sa tanghalian at hapunan bilang bawi sa hindi pagkain ng umaga.
- Ang mataas na post-meal blood sugar ay may kinalaman sa atherosclerosis → maaaring mauwi sa heart attack o stroke.
⚠️ Pag-aaral #2: Lumalala ang Metabolic Syndrome Kapag Walang Almusal
Nas et al.
- Mga kalahok: 17 kataong may metabolic syndrome.
- Disenyo: Randomized cross-over na may tatlong set-up:
- Walang almusal (BSD)
- Walang hapunan (DSD)
- Normal na 3 meals (control)
- Pantay ang calories sa bawat araw (55% carbs, 30% fat, 15% protein)
Resulta:
- Mas mataas ang energy expenditure sa BSD (+41 kcal) at DSD (+91 kcal).
- Mas maraming fat loss sa BSD (+16g/day).
- Ngunit mas mataas ang insulin resistance at blood sugar kapag walang almusal:
- HOMA-IR index +54%
- Post-lunch blood sugar +46%
- Mas maraming pro-inflammatory white blood cells kapag walang almusal → naglalabas ng IL-6 at TNF-α.
➡️ Kombinasyon ng mataas na glucose + inflammation = panganib sa mga sakit tulad ng diabetes, hypertension, at heart disease.
👩👦 Pag-aaral #3: National Survey sa Korea (22,699 kalahok)
2016–2020 Korea NHANES
- Mga babaeng kumakain ng tanghalian at hapunan lang ay may mas mataas na:
- Fasting glucose
- Triglycerides
- Ang mga babaeng hindi kumakain ng hapunan ay may mas magandang blood sugar control.
- Sa mga lalaki, ang hindi pagkain ng almusal ay nauugnay sa:
- Metabolic syndrome
- Abdominal obesity
- Mataas na triglycerides
Payo: Ang pagka-skip ng almusal ay masama para sa blood sugar at metabolismo. Mas mainam kung hapunan ang bawasan kung mag-i-intermittent fasting.
🩺 Pag-aaral #4: Mas Pangit ang Blood Sugar Control ng May Diabetes Kapag Walang Almusal
Israeli Study (22 kataong may type 2 diabetes)
- Sa pag-aaral na ito, ang mga participants ay sinubukan sa dalawang magkahiwalay na araw:
- Sa isang araw, kumain sila ng almusal, tanghalian, at hapunan.
- Sa isa naman, hindi sila kumain ng almusal at dumiretso sa tanghalian at hapunan lang.
Pagkatapos ng Tanghalian (no-breakfast day):
- Mas mataas ang blood sugar nila kumpara sa araw na kumain sila ng almusal.
- Mas maraming fat ang lumabas sa dugo, na hindi maganda lalo na sa mga may diabetes.
- Dumami ang hormones na nagpapataas ng blood sugar, habang bumaba naman ang hormones na nagtutulak ng insulin para pababain ito.
Pagkatapos ng Hapunan:
- Nagpatuloy ang problema—mataas pa rin ang blood sugar at fat sa dugo.
- Mababa pa rin ang levels ng mga hormones na dapat sana’y tumutulong sa pag-control ng sugar.
- Mas mabagal ang insulin response, kaya matagal bumaba ang blood sugar pagkatapos kumain.
Bottom Line:
Kapag hindi nag-aalmusal ang may diabetes, mas mahirap kontrolin ang blood sugar pagkatapos ng tanghalian at hapunan. Tumataas ito nang sobra at hindi agad bumababa, kaya mas tumitindi ang risk ng complications gaya ng heart disease at stroke.
🧠 Bakit Mahalaga Ito?
- Ang mataas na post-meal blood sugar ay mas nakakasama kaysa sa fasting sugar.
- Sanhi ng:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Chronic inflammation
- Mataas na glucose → nagpapakain sa white blood cells → pro-inflammatory cytokines → pinsala sa puso, utak, bato, at mga ugat.
💡 Payong Pangkalusugan
- Kumain ng almusal araw-araw kung nais mong:
- Pababaing blood sugar
- Iwasan ang diabetes at metabolic syndrome
- Maging malusog habang tumatanda
- Kung gusto mong mag-intermittent fasting, hapunan ang gawing magaan o tanggalin, hindi almusal.
📝 Huling Paalala
“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” — Adelle Davis
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References:
- Ogata H, Kayaba M, Tanaka Y, Yajima K, Iwayama K, Ando A, Park I, Kiyono K, Omi N, Satoh M, Tokuyama K. Effect of skipping breakfast for 6 days on energy metabolism and diurnal rhythm of blood glucose in young, healthy Japanese males. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Jul 1;110(1):41-52. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy346. PMID: 31095288.
- Swarup S, Goyal A, Grigorova Y, et al. Metabolic Syndrome [Updated 2022 Oct 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459248/
- Hirode G, Wong RJ. Trends in the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in the United States, 2011-2016. JAMA. 2020;323(24):2526–2528. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4501
- Nas A, Mirza N, Hägele F, Kahlhöfer J, Keller J, Rising R, Kufer TA, Bosy-Westphal A. Impact of breakfast skipping compared with dinner skipping on regulation of energy balance and metabolic risk. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jun;105(6):1351-1361. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.151332. Epub 2017 May 10. PMID: 28490511.
- Park H, Shin D, Lee KW. Association of main meal frequency and skipping with metabolic syndrome in Korean adults: a cross-sectional study. Nutr J. 2023 May 11;22(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s12937-023-00852-x. PMID: 37165359; PMCID: PMC10173485.
- Jakubowicz D, Wainstein J, Ahren B, Landau Z, Bar-Dayan Y, Froy O. Fasting until noon triggers increased post-prandial hyperglycemia and impaired insulin response after lunch and dinner in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial. Diabetes Care. 2015 Oct;38(10):1820-6. doi: 10.2337/dc15-0761. Epub 2015 Jul 28. PMID: 26220945.
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