Platelets, tiny elements in the blood that keep us from bleeding to death if we get a cut, can clump together inside our arteries due to cholesterol or plaque build-up in the artery linings. It is in the morning hours that platelets are most activated and tend to form these internal blood clots at the greatest frequency.However, eating even a very light breakfast prevents the morning platelet activation associated with heart attacks and strokes. Studies performed at Memorial University in St. Johns, Newfoundland found that eating a light, very low-fat breakfast would help in modifying the morning platelet activation. Subjects in the study consumed either low-fat or fat-free yogurt, orange juice, fruits, with source of protein coming from yogurt or fat-free milk.
So if you skip breakfast, it's important that you stop this practice immediately in the light of findings from this research. Develop a simple plan to eat cereals, such as oatmeal or Bran Flakes, along with six ounces of grape juice or orange juice, and if possible a fruit or two. This simple plan will keep your platelets from sticking together, keep blood clots from forming, and perhaps prevent a potential Heart Attack or stroke. So don’t ever skip breakfast.
