Key to Good Eyesight is Healthy Breakfast

personalEYES | 6 Jun 2019

Key to Good Eyesight is Healthy Breakfast

It’s often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A healthy brekky can kickstart both your morning and your metabolism, making eating breakfast one of the best things you can do to help you maintain a healthy body weight. But did you realise that your morning meal is a vital one for eye health, too?

Researchers at Harvard Medical School have followed more than 2,800 people over the course of eight years in a study that has produced important findings for eye health: eating breakfast can decrease your risk of obesity and insulin resistance by up to 50%.

The reason for this result is also still up for debate. Researchers speculate that eating a meal at the beginning of the day may help control hunger, meaning that you’re less likely to overeat at lunch time, or indulge in unhealthy snacks. They also believe that eating in the morning may assist in controlling insulin levels, which in turn regulate your blood sugar levels, leaving you less likely to crave fatty or sugary treats. What we do know is that your first meal of the day is an important one for healthy eyes.

What does this mean for eye health?

Insulin resistance is a medical condition wherein the body retains its ability to produce insulin, but is unable to use it properly. It causes insulin to build up in the bloodstream rather than being absorbed by the body’s cells, which can in turn lead to diabetes. Many people are unaware that they are affected by the condition until it progresses and they receive a diabetes diagnosis, meaning that they fail to receive the treatment that could have prevented the condition’s progression.

For individuals living with diabetes, the threat of eye disease is a constant concern. Diabetic retinopathy alone is the leading cause of blindness in young and middle-aged adults, whilst glaucoma and cataracts are also observed at higher rates in individuals with diabetes. By avoiding diabetes, you will also be avoiding a wide range of potentially debilitating eye conditions and protecting your vision.

Researchers involved in this study are still investigating which breakfast foods are the most effective in preventing obesity and insulin resistance. However, their preliminary investigations suggest that whole grain cereal with more than two grams of fibre per serve can reduce insulin resistance by up to 15%. So tuck into a bowl of whole grain cereal today for better eye health for life!

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