This Is the Best Time to Eat Breakfast If You Have High Cholesterol

For

those who consistently have high cholesterol rates and are watching it, aim to eat breakfast soon after you wake up. According to studies, skipping breakfast with such a condition can lead to spikes in low-density lipoprotein, or LDL – also known as "bad" cholesterol levels, which increase the risk of heart and artery disease.

Breakfast within two hours of waking up

While breakfast is important not just to give you energy and help you get through the day, it also helps manage cholesterol levels. For those who have high cholesterol, studies say it should be eaten within two hours of walking up. Here’s why: Various studies, like those from the American Heart Association

, have linked breakfast with lower LDL cholesterol and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) - called the good cholesterol levels. Not eating or skipping it significantly increases the risk of high cholesterol, especially in adolescents and young adults. As an older adult, if you consume breakfast daily, your HDL levels go up and triglycerides come down.Also read: New Blood Test May Predict Heart Disease Better Than LDL Cholesterol; Why Are More People Not Getting It?

Why is skipping breakfast a bad idea?

For those with heart-related issues like high bad cholesterol levels, breakfast should not be skipped, no matter what. Apart from providing energy and nutrients, breakfast also influences your daily eating patterns, physical activity, and metabolism – all of these are markers of your heart health. Skipping breakfast contributes to:

High blood pressure

Multiple studies like those published in the National Institutes of Health say there is a strong link between eating breakfast three or fewer days a week and high blood pressure.

Weight gain

Apart from what you eat, the timing of breakfast affects your waist circumference and body fat levels.

Heart diseases

Skipping breakfast is linked with atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, and coronary artery disease, which causes plaque build-up in heart arteries, restricting blood flow.

Type 2 diabetes

According to research published in the Journal of Nutrition, it has been specifically mentioned that those who do not eat breakfast are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Mental health challenges

Data also reveals that missing the morning meal increases the odds of depression and stress among all ages.

How to manage cholesterol levels with breakfast

While eating breakfast is important, it surely does not mean you must eat fatty foods, which actually do the opposite of maintaining cholesterol levels. And so, it is important to start your day with a healthy and well-balanced meal. Here's what you need to keep in mind:

Eat fruit and vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, fibre, and beneficial plant compounds.

High fibre foods

Foods packed with fibre in breakfast foods like whole-grain cereal, oatmeal, and fresh fruits boost digestion and reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the intestines.

Avoid meats

Loaded with saturated fats and sodium - including salt and preservatives- breakfast meats like bacon and sausage must be completely avoided

Boost up on omega-3s

Eat smoked salmon, trout, other fish, and pair with yogurts that are loaded with healthy fatty acids known as omega-3s, which reduce LDL and triglyceride cholesterol levels.