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Why skipping a meal can be healthy

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Ever sit down to a meal and realized that you just don’t want it? Whether it’s an issue of your simply not being hungry or the food being less than palatable, at times, it just seems more sensible to skip a meal.

Or is it? Conventional wisdom has long told us that grazing is the optimal way to eat. Pick up any tabloid magazine and a super-slim star will be profiled, no doubt in a barely-there bathing suit, touting the benefits of constant snacking and smaller, more frequent meals. Other experts contend that skipping meals will leave you vulnerable to temptation, slow your metabolism, promote fat storage and make you more likely to gorge.

 

While there is certainly validity to both claims, the concept of grazing should not be considered an ironclad, dogmatic proclamation that excludes any alternatives, regardless of their potential benefits.  

 

In some cases, such as when you’re stuck at the office with only vending machine offerings for sustenance, it is indeed wise to forgo a meal. You’re not going to starve if you go eight hours without a meal and some studies suggest that intermittent fasting, such as skipping a meal, can promote health and longevity and may even help maintain a healthy weight. In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that intermittent fasting can result in decreases in blood pressure; reduction in oxidative damage to lipids, protein and DNA; improvement in insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake; and decreases in fat mass. Moreover, a study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that there was no correlation between meal frequency and energy expenditure.

 

The verdict? There are real benefits to both methods of eating. However, you shouldn’t have to worry – or feel guilty – about missing a meal. The bottom line is that if you’d rather not eat, don’t. Provided you’re hitting the mark for recommended nutrients, the frequency at which you take them in will have little bearing on your overall health.

For more info:
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition - Alternate-day fasting and chronic disease prevention
Mark's Daily Apple - Is Intermittent Fasting Healthy?