The claim that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is probably one that was invented around the same time John Harvey Kellogg was marketing his cornflakes as a moral solution to sinful urges — and while it may have some apparent benefits for specific individuals, the truth is that it’s not the only way to get all the nutrients you need.

Skipping breakfast can throw off your body’s metabolic balance. If you go too long without eating, your blood sugar levels plummet, and your hormones become out of whack. This can leave you feeling tired, hungry, and irritable. A study in Nutrients found that people who skip breakfast tend to have higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the morning.

This can directly affect your appetite and lead to overeating throughout the day, especially if you eat foods high in sugar, carbohydrates, or fat. It can also be a recipe for weight gain. Researchers have linked skipping breakfast to a greater risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

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However, while skipping breakfast can have some apparent benefits for some individuals, it is essential to note that many health professionals consider breakfast an important meal of the day. This first meal helps regulate blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and provide the energy needed to make it through the morning and perform at your best.

Eating breakfast also ensures you get enough essential nutrients, such as protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. A recent study found that breakfast eaters were more likely to meet their daily vitamin and mineral requirements than those who skipped the meal.

In addition to supplying your body with essential vitamins and minerals, breakfast is the ideal meal to kickstart your metabolism. Digesting food and absorbing its nutrients stimulates your resting metabolic rate, the number of calories your body burns in an at-rest state. Eating breakfast can help keep your metabolism on track and prevent you from overeating later in the day.

While skipping breakfast can have some apparent benefits for specific individuals, it is essential to note that breakfast has been linked to a higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and other chronic health conditions. It’s also worth noting that some forms of fasting, like intermittent fasting and the 16-hour water fast, have been shown to improve insulin/leptin sensitivity and promote healthy weight loss by helping your body to use its fat stores for energy.

In short, if you’re not a breakfast eater and can control your hunger cues throughout the day, don’t worry too much about it. Just eat when you are genuinely hungry, and always listen to your body’s signals of fullness. This will help you avoid emotional eating, which is a common cause of overeating and unnecessary weight gain.