Breakfast, hailed as the most important meal of the day, plays a crucial role in kickstarting our metabolism and providing the energy needed to fuel our daily activities. However, not all breakfast choices are created equal, and some seemingly innocent options may be wreaking havoc on your gut health and contributing to unwanted weight gain.
We spoke with Abby Grimm, MS, RDN, LDN, IFNCP, to learn about three worst breakfast food choices when it comes to gut health and body weight. Grimm revealed that pastries, highly processed breakfast meat, and cereals with artificial sweeteners are the ones to avoid.
Pastries
Grimm starts by saying that pastries like donuts, cinnamon rolls, or danishes are crafted from refined white flour and sugar, resulting in a low fiber content.
"These types of [pastries] do not support healthy levels of gut bacteria and may actually feed the overgrowth of opportunistic (bad) bacteria such as candida and citrobacter." She further adds that "these breakfast foods negatively impact gut health and weight management because the high sugar can lead to higher levels of insulin in the body. High levels of insulin can lead to fat accumulation in the tissues, making weight loss extremely difficult."
Highly Processed Breakfast Meat
Highly processed breakfast meats, including sausages and bacon, often pose a threat to both gut health and weight management. These meats typically undergo extensive processing, containing elevated levels of saturated fats and additives. Regular consumption of such processed meats has been associated with an increased risk of inflammation in the gut, disrupting the delicate balance of the microbiome.
"Eating too much processed red meat may cause unfavorable shifts in the microbiome, meaning more pathogenic bacteria and less healthy bacteria. Farmed-raised, highly processed meats come from animals who have been fed poor quality food and often have been injected with hormones and other chemicals. These components can affect your gut health and weight because they can drive inflammation all throughout the body," Grimm notes.
She suggests to adopt a gut-friendly approach to incorporating meat into your breakfast, prioritize organic, pasture-raised animal protein.
Cereals With Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners, often added to enhance taste without the calories, can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria, potentially leading to an unfavorable microbiome composition. Additionally, studies suggest that the consumption of artificial sweeteners might interfere with the body's natural regulation of appetite, potentially contributing to increased calorie intake and, consequently, weight gain.
"Not only are cereals often low in fiber, high in sugar, and low in nutrients, cereal often contains sugar and artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols such as erythritol that may disrupt the gut. Sugar alcohols draw water into the digestive system, causing unfavorable symptoms like bloating, loose stools, gas, and stomach cramps. They can also change the makeup of good and bad bacteria in the microbiome," Grimm says.
Grimm further adds that with a deficiency in protein, these food choices can contribute to unregulated high blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar, in turn, tends to prompt heightened sugar consumption, ultimately resulting in weight gain. Furthermore, an excess of sugar in the diet can fuel the growth of detrimental gut bacteria, influencing communication with the body and impacting the regulation of weight maintenance.
