A study published last year has found that skipping breakfast is linked to a greater risk of developing heart diseases and dying among people 40 years and older.

Breakfast is often known as the most important meal of the day, because it restores the body’s supply of glucose and boosts energy levels. The word breakfast refers to the fact that it is the first meal that a person has every day, breaking the overnight fasting period.

The study was published in August 2022 bynthe Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and assessed the association of skipping meals and meal frequency with cardiovascular disease mortality among American 40 years and older.

“Our research revealed that individuals eating only one meal a day are more likely to die than those who had more daily meals. Among them, participants who skip breakfast are more likely to develop fatal cardiovascular diseases, while those who skip lunch or dinner increase their risk of death from all causes,” study lead author Yangbo Sun explained.

When a person skips a meal, researchers say it usually leads to them ingesting a larger amount of energy all at once. An increased flow of energy can cause the body to work overtime, as it aims to regulate the glucose metabolism levels, leading to metabolic deterioration.

Sun’s research further revealed that those who ate three meals daily, eating two meals four hours apart were also linked to a higher risk of death.

While conducting the research, the scientists used data from more than 24,000 Americans over 40 years old in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2014. The survey included data on the participants nutritional history and health background that was used to reveal these new findings.