Ideal for maintaining good cardiovascular health.
It is the most important meal of the day: breakfast provides 20 to 25% of the daily energy intake. Its consumption influences the shape, weight, health of the heart and blood vessels… So you should not skip it, especially as you get older. According to a new Spanish study, breakfast would be a valuable ally in combating cardiometabolic disorders, particularly among those over 50. But you still have to compose it well…
For their study, the authors observed the breakfast habits of 383 participants aged 55 to 75, for 3 years. The objective was to evaluate how the quantities and quality of this first meal influence various health indicators such as weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and even kidney function. According to the results published in the journal The Journal of nutrition, health and agingyou should not eat “too much” at breakfast or “too little”: “Low-energy or high-energy breakfasts of poor quality were associated with higher adiposity (fatty tissue, editor’s note) and triglycerides, as well as lower HDL (the good) cholesterol levels in elderly people” report the researchers.
Concretely, participants consuming less than 20% or more than 30% of their daily calories during breakfast had a higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, two risk factors for cardiovascular disease. For the authors, the ideal is to consume between 20% and 30% of daily calories at breakfast to preserve your heart health. Knowing that from the age of 50, a man needs 2500 calories per day and a woman 2000 calories, their breakfast should represent between 500 and 750 calories and between 400 and 600 calories respectively.
Its composition must be based on the principles of the Mediterranean diet, that is to say on quality foods such as low-fat dairy products, whole grains (whole grain bread, porridge), lean proteins (cottage cheese, eggs). ), nuts, almonds, fruits and vegetable fats such as a drizzle of olive oil on bread. Eat a quality breakfast in appropriate quantity”contributes to healthy aging by improving cardiac risk factors” conclude the scientists.