Many individuals forgo meals due to busy schedules, while others do so intentionally in the hopes of losing weight or improving their health, including maintaining better blood sugar regulation. However, is skipping meals actually beneficial or detrimental to blood sugar control?
Let’s examine how food influences blood sugar and what occurs when you skip meals or fast.
When you eat, your body breaks down macronutrients into smaller components. Carbohydrates have the most significant effect on blood sugar, as they are converted into sugars like glucose, which enter your bloodstream and raise blood sugar levels. In response, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that assists in moving glucose into your cells to be utilized for energy or stored for later, as reported by Health.
However, skipping meals—particularly breakfast—can disrupt this process.
A 2019 study involving healthy young men demonstrated that skipping breakfast led to considerably higher blood sugar spikes after lunch, compared to when breakfast was consumed. This suggests that missing breakfast may impair the body’s ability to manage blood sugar effectively, potentially elevating the risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Similarly, a 2020 study found that individuals with type 2 diabetes who skipped breakfast exhibited worse blood sugar control.
While skipping lunch or dinner can also affect blood sugar, the impact does not appear to be as pronounced as when breakfast is skipped.
