Breakfast may be flu defence
People who eat breakfast may be better equipped to fight off colds and flu, says a scientist.
Mothers have always described it as "the most important meal of the day", but in modern society, many people are more inclined to skip breakfast.
However, research at the School of Psychology at Cardiff University suggests that the convenience may not pay off - particularly in the winter flu season.
Professor Andy Smith recruited 188 volunteers, who each kept a diary over 10 weeks of their eating habits.
These were contrasted with how many infections such as colds and flu the volunteer remembered having over the period.
The research found that those who developed more than one illness over the 10 weeks were less likely to be breakfasters.
This group had also suffered more "negative life events", such as job stress or bereavement, in the past 12 months.
Stressful lives
A separate study looked at 498 healthy students who were asked to come to see him if they developed any sort of upper respiratory tract infection - such as a cold.
The 188 who did so were more likely to be smokers - or reported themselves as having "stressful" lives.