Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center found that skipping breakfast causes a reaction in the brain that leads to decreased immune function. The research was published in the journal immunity.
Scientists conducted an experiment on two groups of mice. One group had their breakfast as soon as they woke up, while the other group did not have breakfast. The researchers took blood samples from both groups immediately after waking, four hours later, and eight hours later.
The researchers noticed a marked difference in the samples taken after waking up. In particular, the scientists noticed a difference in the number of monocytes: after four hours, the blood counts of the rats that skipped breakfast were reduced by 90%. These immune cells are a type of white blood cell produced in the bone marrow. They play many important roles in the body, from fighting infections to heart disease and cancer.
The scientists found that in hungry mice, monocytes returned to the bone marrow to hibernate. At the same time, the production of new cells in the bone marrow decreased. At the same time, monocytes began to age incorrectly, despite living longer due to hibernation. Instead of protecting against infection, these altered monocytes caused inflammation, making the body less resistant to infection.
The biologists have also identified specific areas of the brain that control the response of monocytes during fasting. In recent years, numerous studies have shown the benefits of fasting (limiting food intake to a few hours a day) for weight loss and controlling diabetes and other diseases. The discovery of scientists will help to better understand the side effects of this type of nutrition.