It has long been hailed as the most crucial meal of the day, vital for getting the body going and preventing overeating later on. But breakfast may not be so vital after all, if new research is to be believed. Contrary to popular belief, the study found the first meal of the day had little impact on snacking or portion sizes later in the day. It also had no effect on metabolism.

henchangshijianyilaizaocandoubeirendingweiyitianzhongzuizhongyaodeyican

，takeyijifashentidenengliangtongshibimianguoliangjinshi。danshiruguozuixindetiaozhashizhengquedehua，zaocankenengbingbushiruwomenxiangxiangnabanzhongyao。yuliuxingshuofaxiangfandeshi，yanjiufaxianzaocanduizhengtiandechilingshibingmeiyouyingxiang，tongshiyebuhuiyingxiangdaoxinchendaixie。

The researchers, from the University of Bath, now suggest the better health of people who eat a good breakfast may be due to their general, wider, diet regime. They found there was no change in metabolism after six weeks between those who ate nothing for breakfast and those who consumed 700 calories before 11am. The major difference was that those who abstained from breakfast ate fewer calories over the whole day.

來自巴斯大學的調查者稱，早餐吃好的人們身體更健康是因為他們攝入得飲食更廣泛。而經過六周的實驗，調查者發現在11點之前攝入700大卡的人群和早餐不吃的人群中，新陳代謝並沒有變化。主要的不同在於不吃早餐的人一天攝入的卡路裏更少。

This goes against the long-held theory that people who skip breakfast simply make up for it by gorging on food later on. However, breakfast eaters were likely to expend more energy – around 442 calories – by being active, mainly in the morning after eating. They also had more stable blood sugar readings, especially by the end of the trial.

這和之前人們認為的“不吃早餐會使人之後進食更多”的想法截然相反。然而，吃早餐的人確實會因為更加活躍消耗更多能量——約442大卡
，尤其是在早飯後那一段時間。他們的血糖指數也更穩定，尤其是在實驗後期。

The research added: “The belief that breakfast is ‘the most important meal of the day’ is so widespread that many people are surprised to learn that there is a lack of scientific evidence showing whether or how breakfast may directly cause changes in our health. It is certainly true that people who regularly eat breakfast tend to be slimmer and healthier but these individuals also typically follow most other recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, so have more balanced diets and take more physical exercise. ”

調查還說
，“認ren為wei早zao餐can最zui重zhong要yao的de傳chuan統tong觀guan念nian被bei大da眾zhong廣guang泛fan接jie受shou，關guan於yu早zao餐can是shi否fou會hui對dui我wo們men的de健jian康kang造zao成cheng直zhi接jie影ying響xiang這zhe個ge問wen題ti上shang
，目mu前qian是shi缺que乏fa科ke學xue依yi據ju的de。很hen多duo人ren對dui此ci非fei常chang驚jing訝ya。當dang然ran，有you規gui律lv地di吃chi早zao餐can的de人ren會hui更geng苗miao條tiao，也ye更geng健jian康kang
，不bu過guo這zhe些xie人ren其qi他ta的de生sheng活huo方fang式shi也ye一yi定ding是shi非fei常chang健jian康kang合he理li的de


，也ye會hui注zhu意yi平ping衡heng飲yin食shi和he鍛duan煉lian身shen體ti。”

In another study published this month, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham divided vounteers into three groups. One skipped breakfast, others always ate it and a third continued with their current regime. Four months later, no-one in any group had lost much weight.

而在本月發表的另外一項調查中，來自伯明翰阿拉巴馬大學的調查者把誌願者們分成三組：一組不吃早餐
，一組經常吃早餐，最後一組遵循之前的飲食方式。四個月後
，沒有任何誌願者的體重下降。