Eating breakfast everyday has long been known to be a healthy habit, particularly for children. A recent study conducted in London takes it up a notch, revealing that a regular serving of breakfast is not only healthy but preventive as well, as it may assist in lowering the risk of having Type 2 diabetes among children.
A study done by the team of Angela Donin of St. George's, University of London discovered that the risk of reaching obesity and having type 2 diabetes due to skipping breakfast is not only applicable to adults, but to children as well.
According to Donin, children have always been encouraged by their parents to eat breakfast every day, but this is a response to the fact that breakfast helps boost a kid's performance in school and his or her cognitive outcomes. Donin and her team of researchers have added to this body of knowledge, saying that breakfast also affects the future of children's health in the long run.
For the study, Donin and colleagues had over 4,000 children as participants, ages nine and ten years old. Information was gathered regarding the kids' breakfast eating habits, as well as details about their body fat and blood samples. Following this collection of information were one-on-one interviews between the children and the researchers. These interviews focused on the details of the kids' meals for the day.
Results revealed that those children who skipped breakfast displayed higher insulin levels, reaching up to 26 % more. Meanwhile, kids who ate high fiber cereals for breakfast showed lower levels of insulin.
Recommended breakfast ideas for children include nutritious, balanced meals that are rich in fiber, slow-burning carbohydrates, and protein. One study also conducted in the United Kingdom discovered that the ideal breakfast for children is packed with protein-rich food like eggs, oats, and toast.
