Diabetics who skip breakfast provoke hazardous blood sugar spikes

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-07/afot-dws072815.php

Public Release: 28-Jul-2015
Diabetics who skip breakfast provoke hazardous blood sugar spikes
Type-2 diabetics who 'fast' until noon risk day-long consequences, says Tel Aviv University researcher
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

More and more Americans on-the-go are skipping the "most important meal of the day," not eating until lunch. This tendency to miss breakfast has already been linked to the growing epidemic of obesity and cardiovascular problems in the US -- and it may put the health of diabetics at risk as well.

Very little was known regarding the effect of skipping breakfast on the health of diabetics -- until now. A new Tel Aviv University study reveals the substantial impact of skipping breakfast on type-2 diabetics. "Fasting" until noon triggers major blood sugar spikes (postprandial hyperglycemia) and impairs the insulin responses of type-2 diabetics throughout the rest of the day, researchers say.

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"Despite the fact that many studies have previously demonstrated the benefits of a high-caloric breakfast for weight loss and to regulate the glucose metabolism, very little was known regarding the effect of skipping breakfast on glycemic spikes after meals throughout the entire day," said Prof. Jakubowicz. "It is quite remarkable that, for type-2 diabetic individuals, the omission of breakfast is associated with a significant increase in all-day blood sugar spikes and of HbA1C, which represents average blood glucose levels over the preceding three months."

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