Most people have heard that breakfast is important, but is there a best way to eat it for heart health, especially in older adults who may already face higher health risks? A recent study set out to explore this question. Breakfast habits are getting more attention these days, not just in terms of whether people eat it, but also how much they eat and how nutritious that meal is. This research looks at how breakfast patterns might affect long-term heart and metabolic health, which refers to how the body uses energy and manages functions like blood sugar and cholesterol.
Scientists led by Dr. Álvaro Hernáez from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute in Spain looked into this connection in older adults. Their results appear in the journal The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.
People who took part in the study were in their late fifties to mid-seventies and were already dealing with weight and metabolism-related health conditions. Over the course of three years, the researchers kept track of how much food participants ate for breakfast and the overall quality of those meals. The individuals who ate a moderate-sized breakfast—roughly about a quarter of their daily food—tended to have better long-term health outcomes. On the other hand, those who ate very small or very large breakfasts often experienced more weight gain, larger waistlines, and less healthy cholesterol levels. A similar pattern showed up in people whose breakfasts were not very nutritious.
People who had either too little or too much for breakfast ended up with more significant changes in their body size over time. The research also found that eating at the extremes—too little or too much—was linked to higher levels of unhealthy fats in the blood, called triglycerides, and lower levels of the “good” cholesterol, known as HDL cholesterol, which helps protect the heart. By contrast, those who stuck to a balanced morning meal saw steadier improvements in body shape and cholesterol levels. It was also noted that having a breakfast that lacked good nutritional value could be tied to poorer kidney health, referring to how well the kidneys clean the blood and manage fluids.
“Low- or high-energy and low-quality breakfasts were associated with higher adiposity, which means body fat, and triglycerides, and lower HDL cholesterol in high-risk older adults,” explained Dr. Hernáez, underlining the importance of a well-balanced breakfast in staying healthy. “Low-quality breakfasts were also linked to poorer kidney function.” Dr. Hernáez’s comments show how both the quantity and quality of breakfast matter for overall health, especially for people already managing health concerns.
Dr. Hernáez and colleagues put forward a simple suggestion: eat about one-quarter of your daily food during breakfast and make sure it includes foods full of useful nutrients. This advice comes from three years of tracking health trends, which offers more dependable insights than studies done at just one point in time. The findings show that breakfast choices really do add up when it comes to staying healthy.
People often hear that skipping breakfast can be bad, but this study points out that the way breakfast is built matters even more. The team found that those who regularly ate a balanced and healthy morning meal tended to manage their weight and cholesterol more effectively. That makes this information useful for doctors and older adults—it’s not just about eating in the morning, but eating the right way.
Dr. Hernáez and his team suggest these results could help develop tailored food plans, meaning personalized eating guidelines, for older individuals who want to prevent or manage heart and metabolism issues. With more older adults around the world every year, encouraging these simple breakfast habits could be a cost-effective and meaningful way to improve public health.
Journal Reference
Pérez-Vega K.A., Lassale C., Zomeño M.D., et al. “Breakfast energy intake and dietary quality and trajectories of cardiometabolic risk factors in older adults.” The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnha.2024.100406
About the Author
Dr. Álvaro Hernáez is a leading researcher in cardiovascular and nutritional epidemiology, based at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain. With a strong background in public health and biomedical science, Dr. Hernáez specializes in how diet and lifestyle impact heart and metabolic health, particularly in aging populations. He has played a key role in the PREDIMED-Plus study, a landmark clinical trial exploring the effects of the Mediterranean diet on individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease. His research focuses on translating complex clinical data into practical dietary guidelines aimed at disease prevention and healthy aging. Known for his collaborative work across various health institutes in Spain, Dr. Hernáez combines statistical expertise with a deep understanding of nutrition science. He is also committed to public engagement and data transparency, often sharing his methodologies and findings openly with the scientific community to improve global health research outcomes.
