Know how long fasting hours may affect your gallbladder health and why you should never skip breakfast. Breakfast, despite being called the most important meal of the day, is frequently skipped as people rush through their morning routine and head out to work. Skipping the meal may seem convenient, as it saves time, and many people may not feel very hungry early in the morning. However, when this becomes a regular habit, it may affect your health extensively. One of the ways it can impact you is by disrupting gallbladder function and may contribute to the risk of gallstone formation.ALSO READ: Tamannaah Bhatia's fitness trainer says 'stop eating dosa for breakfast if you want to lose weight'; shares protein hackGallbladder is affected if you skip meals.Let's hear from an expert on why skipping breakfast may not be healthy. Dr Arul Prakash, medical gastroenterologist at SRM Prime Hospital at Ramapuram, Chennai, told HT Lifestyle that when you skip breakfast, you are essentially fasting for long periods, which may increase the risk of gallstones.How long can fasting gaps affect the gallbladder?Eat protein-rich breakfast.Explaining the process, Dr Prakash said that bile is a fluid stored in the gallbladder and released when food enters the intestines. Meals, especially those containing some amount of fat, stimulate the gallbladder to contract and empty bile.“For example, if you are taking a heavy meal which has high fat content like butter or a non-vegetarian meal, that sends signals to the Galbladder to empty the galbladder. So, responding to the signal, the gallbladder empties thoroughly,” he added.Then the gastroenterologist warned that when a person fasts for a long time, skips meals frequently or in general follows an extremely unbalanced diet, this regular stimulation may not happen. Because of this, the gallbladder may remain inactive for longer durations, causing bile to stagnate and become thicker. Now, over time, this may lead to sludge formation and eventually contribute to gallstones.Is skipping breakfast the only reason for gallstones?However, skipping breakfast is not the only reason. According to Dr Prakash, gallstones do not develop due to one factor alone. It is from a combination of factors.One such factor is particularly relevant for women of reproductive age, from 20 to 45. The gastroenterologist revealed, "There are hormonal changes that happen particularly in young females where the gallbladder becomes very sluggish, and then the movement is not adequate, and then they develop stones in the gallbladder.”This means women may be at a slightly higher risk because they are more prone to hormonal changes.In terms of pain, the expert added that some people with gallstones may remain asymptomatic, while others may develop pain or complications such as gallbladder inflammation or blockage of the bile duct.While there is no direct medical literature connecting breakfast skipping alone with gallstones, the doctor said that prolonged fasting affects the gallbladder, which may lead to stone formation, which is why he cautioned against skipping meals and urged eating a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats in regular meal timings. On the dietary side, he recommended starting the day with ‘a good breakfast, having a balanced lunch and keeping dinner light’ to support gut health.Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read MoreHealthCatch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.See Less