Breakfast choices could affect overall health: UW study

Researchers at the University of Waterloo (UW) are looking at how different breakfast foods impact health and weight loss.

The study employed mathematical models of men’s and women’s metabolisms, and it revealed that on average, men’s bodies responded better to high-carbohydrate meals, like oatmeal or cereal. While women’s bodies respond best to higher-fat meals, things like omelettes or avocado toast.

According to the study, the results are based on how different bodies process those foods.

It found that on average, women’s bodies tended to store more fat immediately after a meal but burned more fat during a fast, like overnight.

For men it was the opposite.

“Lifestyle is a big factor in our overall health,” Stephanie Abo, an Applied Mathematics PhD candidate and the lead author of the study, said in a press release. “We live busy lives, so it’s important to understand how seemingly inconsequential decisions, such as what to have for breakfast, can affect our health and energy levels. Whether attempting to lose weight, maintain weight, or just keep up your energy, understanding your diet’s impact on your metabolism is important.”

The use of mathematical models allowed the researchers to test various hypotheses more quickly while also allowing for adjustments that would not be possible with human subjects.

The researchers hope to build more complex versions of their metabolism models and extend beyond the consideration of biological sex by incorporating other biological factors.

The study Modelling sex-specific whole-body metabolic responses to feeding and fasting appears in Computers in Biology and Medicine.