Chances are you’ve heard the old adage ‘breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper’ too many times in your life to come to the conclusion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And over the years, there have been countless studies attempting to prove–and even disprove–this advice, and to determine the consequences if you miss out on this meal.

So, the question is ‘what is the truth?’ Is breakfast really that important? In short (no surprise), yes it is. Should you skip breakfast? Errmmmm, no you shouldn’t.  And here are seven reasons why.

1. It helps to maintain a healthy weight

Various studies have shown that people who eat breakfast have a much better chance of losing pounds. When you skip meals, you feel so hungry by lunch that you eat too much food. The National Weight Control Registry reports that 90 % of people who eat breakfast daily lost 30 or more pounds and have kept their weight off.

While you might think the easiest way to cut calories is to skip a meal altogether, eating throughout the day helps maintain and speed up your metabolism. If you eat a healthy whole grain breakfast paired with fruits, your body will feel more satisfied and you will not feel the urge to reach for that mid-day snack to help curb your hunger.

2. Keeps your heart healthy

People who don’t eat breakfast are going to be hungrier later in the day and eat more food than necessary. Those meals mean the body must process a higher number of calories in a shorter time period. That can lead to clogged arteries and cause spike sugar levels in the blood.

Most breakfasts are nutritious, low in cholesterol, low in fat, high in protein, and high in vitamins. These are all the stepping stones needed to maintain a healthy heart and an overall healthy lifestyle. Just avoid the donuts and the pastries on a daily basis.

3. Breakfast improves metabolism

Your blood sugar level drops down in the morning, so you need food that can provide you energy to get through the day. Our body needs fuel to keep it running, and the nighttime is the longest time in the refueling process. To keep your metabolism in a good shape you need to eat breakfast at least 2 hours of waking up.

4. Increased energy level

If you skip breakfast, it is possible that your organism may be up to 12 hours or longer without any food taken. By this point, your muscles need more glycogen, for energy, so the longer you don’t eat, the more glycogen your muscles use, and the less energy you have. Skipping breakfast is a common factor among those who have sedentary lifestyles, and in order to change that lifestyle you must keep your energy level high, eat a healthy breakfast each day.

5. Better concentration

When you feel hungry for a longer time, besides feeling the physical effects, such as headaches, weakness, and stomach discomfort, you can have mental effects too. Hunger affects your mood, concentration, and alertness, which can be very frustrating. Eating a healthy breakfast that mixes fruits and vegetables, low-fat protein food and whole grains, helps improve your concentration and focus, and allows you to stay productive through lunch.