Why skipping breakfast makes you crave high-calorie foods
Fasting ultimately leads to an excessive fulfillment of energy needs, especially in the evening
Fasting activates addictive and reward behaviors in the brain for high-calorie foods
Skipping breakfast increases appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods later in the day. Skipping breakfast and other meals is a potent migraine trigger . A new study has explored the neural mechanisms behind this. When breakfast is not eaten, our neural appetite-stimulating circuits in the brain are activated, leading to a craving for high-calorie food later in the day. The English research group led by Tony Goldstone at the University of London examined the brains of participants using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Simultaneously, they analyzed the participants' eating behavior both after a typical breakfast and when they skipped it. The scientists demonstrated that skipping breakfast made the participants hungrier for high-calorie foods throughout the day. The attraction of high-calorie foods and the amount of food consumed later in the day increased significantly when breakfast was skipped. Fasting in the morning caused hunger to increase more during the day, high-calorie foods were preferred, and the amount of these foods consumed increased significantly.
The reward system for high-calorie foods is facilitated and activated by fasting
In connection with increased appetite, the researchers discovered heightened activity in the frontal cortex. This brain region, located frontally above the eyes, influences the perception of taste and the reward associated with eating. On days when breakfast was skipped, these brain regions were more active than on days when breakfast was consumed.
The study suggests that the orbitofrontal cortex plays a key role in food selection decisions. The researchers' findings demonstrate that fasting is not an appropriate or effective method for weight loss. In fact, the opposite is true: the brain is activated to later seek out and consume larger quantities of high-calorie foods.
Based on a lecture by Tony Goldstone, Imperial College London, UK, Neuroscience Congress 2012, New Orleans, USA, October 17, 2012
Abstract of the presentation
Report in The Guardian
I am 53 years old and have suffered from migraines with aura since childhood. The severity varies at different stages of my life. I find the app very helpful!