Consuming a higher-fat breakfast may enhance fat oxidation in older adults
A study published in The Journal of Nutrition suggests that consumption of a high-fat, lower-carbohydrate breakfast may reduce the risk of metabolic disease.
The ability to oxidize dietary fat as a fuel is critical for the maintenance of metabolic health and the prevention of chronic disease. Dietary factors, both quantitative and qualitative, are likely to contribute to the ability to maintain effective fat oxidation. Although diet quantity has received much attention due to its connection to obesity, additional dietary factors such as the timing and macronutrient composition of food intake are garnering more attention as important contributors to metabolic health. A study published in The Journal of Nutrition suggests that consumption of a high-fat, lower-carbohydrate breakfast may reduce the risk of metabolic disease.
The objective of the study was to determine the effect of consumption of either a high-fat breakfast or a high-carbohydrate breakfast for four weeks on the daily profile of fuel utilization as determined by respiratory quotient (RQ) and to examine associations between RQ and metabolic indexes. The study was conducted with 29 healthy sedentary men and women (aged 55–75) with a body mass index of 25–35 kg/m2.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a high-fat breakfast (FB; 35% carbohydrate, 20% protein, 45% fat) or a high-carbohydrate breakfast (CB; 60% carbohydrate, 20% protein, 20% fat) for four weeks while consuming a “neutral” lunch and dinner. The researchers measured 24-hour and postprandial respiratory quotients (RQs) by whole-room indirect calorimetry. In addition, they determined insulin and glucose measures including insulin sensitivity by an oral-glucose-tolerance test. Measures were taken at baseline and after the four-week intervention.
The researchers found that the participants who consumed the high-fat breakfast showed significantly lower RQ (greater fat oxidation) throughout the 24-hour day, as well as after the lunch and dinner meals, than did participants who consumed a carbohydrate-based breakfast. They concluded that “given the favorable association between fat oxidation and metabolic health, it is possible that the routine consumption of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate breakfast could be beneficial for reducing the risk of chronic disease. This could be particularly important in older adults who, as a group, are at elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases.”