Cholesterol Levels Climbing? This Simple Morning Habit Could Be the Culprit

While you may be doing everything right to make your mornings healthy – not taking too much caffeine or sugar, exercising, and drinking enough water- do you see cholesterol levels still rising? According

to doctors, it can be attributed to one habit many young people have due to time constraints in the morning rush hour – skipping breakfast. Doctors say over time, consistently delaying or skipping your first meal of the day subtly disrupts the biological systems that regulate cholesterol, appetite, and metabolism, long before blood test results start raising red flags. Various studies have repeatedly found that those who do not eat breakfast or eat late at night experience a modestly greater annual increase in LDL or bad cholesterol levels (0.89 mg/dL), along with an increase in triglycerides and a decrease in HDL or good cholesterol levels. The link between these eating patterns and negative lipid changes is always strongest in women, those who are overweight or obese, and those who are physically inactive.

Why does not eating breakfast impact your cholesterol?

According to experts, when you skip the first meal of the day, your body’s circadian rhythm or internal clock gets impacted negatively with insulin sensitivity, which helps your body regulate blood sugar levels and potentially raises the risk of heart disease. This matters for cholesterol because circadian rhythm helps regulate lipid metabolism, including the genes and enzymes responsible for processing cholesterol. When that rhythm is disrupted, the body may become less efficient at managing LDL cholesterol levels. Doctors say your body is more sensitive to insulin in the morning, more insulin resistant in the evening, and less tolerant to glucose in the evening. And so, while it may anticipate big meals during daytime, as humans are supposed to be diurnal mammals, it means you are more active during daylight hours. Many other studies have also linked late-night eating to a higher risk of obesity and heart disease. This effect may also be due to delays in the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, disrupting metabolism.

Skipping breakfast causes a hormonal imbalance

Skipping breakfast mostly causes prolonged morning fasting, which alters appetite-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin. These shifts increase hunger signals while reducing satiety cues, making high-carb or high-fat foods harder to resist later in the day. When you don’t eat breakfast, it mostly causes prolonged morning fasting, which alters appetite-regulating hormones, shifting an increase in hunger signals while reducing satiety cues, making high-carb or high-fat foods harder to resist later in the day.

What you can do to be mindful of your meal timings and heart health?

Though an occasional late dinner or skipped breakfast is not a big deal, experts say you'd better not make it a habit. Experts offer these tips:

• Eat breakfast consistently within a few hours of waking.
• Avoid food two to three hours before bedtime.
• Try to eat at the same time daily
• Aim for a little more exercise or movement following days when your eating schedule gets thrown off.
• Be intentional about following a healthy diet

The American Heart Association recommends a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fish, while limiting intake of processed foods, sodium, sugar, and alcohol. The Mediterranean diet is also a great place to start.