NASHVILLE: A new study has highlighted a possible link between skipping breakfast and the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, suggesting that eating in the morning may help support healthier glucose control.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University examined how eating breakfast affects hormones involved in blood sugar regulation, particularly insulin and glucagon. The findings may help explain why blood glucose levels can remain elevated throughout the day in some people with type 2 diabetes.
How Breakfast May Affect Blood Sugar
Insulin and glucagon play opposing roles in regulating glucose levels. Insulin helps lower blood sugar by prompting the liver to store glucose after a meal, while glucagon signals the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream.
Researchers examined how the liver responds to these hormones after breakfast and found that morning increases in glucagon can affect the way the liver processes glucose.
According to the study, when breakfast is skipped, the liver may continue releasing glucose rather than storing it efficiently after the next meal. This could contribute to changes in blood sugar regulation during the day.
More Research Planned
The researchers said the findings provide a possible explanation for why blood glucose levels may remain elevated in people with type 2 diabetes, but further research is needed to understand the full effects of eating or skipping breakfast.
The study’s findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology.