Big breakfasts increase the fertility level of women

This is according to a new study by the Hebrew University which proves that women suffering from menstrual irregularities resulting from polycystic ovaries who consumed the same amount of calories in the morning recorded an increase in fertility than the women who ate the same amount in the evening

In recent years, a variety of studies in the field of nutrition have found that our weight is affected not only by the extent of our calorie consumption, but also by the question of when we consume those calories. Now a new Israeli study reveals that the timing of meals does not only affect the figure, but can have real consequences on the level of fertility of women.

The research done in collaboration between the Hebrew University, Wolfson Hospital and Tel Aviv University, shows that consuming a higher amount of calories in the morning than in the evening leads to a better state of health. The study, conducted by Prof. Oren Froy and Ms. Maayan Barnea from the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Sciences and Nutrition at the Hebrew University and Prof. Daniela Yakovovich and Dr. Julio Weinstein from Wolfson Hospital and Tel Aviv University found that among women suffering from menstrual irregularities, those Those who ate a big breakfast enjoyed an increase in the level of fertility.

The study examined whether meal times have a health effect on women with menstrual irregularities resulting from polycystic ovaries. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects about 6-10% of women of reproductive age and affects their reproductive capacity. This syndrome is related to insulin resistance which leads to an increase in male sex hormones (androgens) and can cause irregularity in the menstrual cycle, hair loss, hair loss in different body areas, acne, fertility problems and diabetes in the future.

The experiment was conducted for 12 weeks on thin women with a BMI (body mass index) lower than 23 who suffer from this syndrome. The women who participated in it were divided into 2 groups that consumed about 1800 calories a day. As mentioned, the difference between the groups was the timing of eating the large meals, where one group consumed approximately 980 calories at breakfast, and the other consumed the same amount at dinner. The researchers wanted to test whether different timing of calorie consumption would affect insulin resistance and an increase in the amount of androgens in women suffering from the syndrome The PCOS.

The findings of the study recently published in the prestigious journal Clinical Science showed better results for the group that consumed a large breakfast. The glucose level and insulin resistance decreased in women from this group (by 8%), while in the other group these indicators did not change. Another finding showed that in the morning group there was a decrease in the testosterone level by almost 50%, while, again, in the evening group the index did not change. In addition, in the "breakfast" group there was a dramatic increase in the percentage of women ovulating as the study continued compared to the "dinner" group, meaning that eating a large breakfast leads to an increase in the level of fertility in women with polycystic ovaries.

According to Prof. Froy, "the study clearly demonstrates that although the amount of calories we consume per day is important, the timing in which we consume them is even more important."