Eggs Get a Break
Are eggs healthy or unhealthy? For years, doctors and dieticians told us that eggs should be avoided or severely limited, as they were loaded with artery-clogging cholesterol. That attitude has softened in recent years, after researchers determined that there’s no clear cut association between egg consumption and cardiovascular risk for healthy individuals. Still, eggs haven’t been given a pass: one recent study, for example, found an association between increased egg consumption and mortality. Mainstream professionals are still cautious, and conventional medical advice remains fairly discouraging.
It’s unfortunate, as eggs are nutritionally-dense, and offer a lot of “bang” for your calorie “buck.” Thus, it was good to see the latest study, hot off the presses of the International Journal of Obesity: Egg Breakfast Enhances Weight Loss.
In the study, researchers compared two groups of overweight/obese men and women on reduced-calorie diets. The first group ate a breakfast containing two eggs (5 days/week, min.); while the second ate an energy-equivalent, bagel-based breakfast instead. At the end of the 8 week trial, the egg dieters lost more weight ( an average of -2.63 vs -1.59 kg) and had a 34% greater reduction in waist circumference than the bagel dieters.
Even better: total cholesterol, HDL/LDL cholesterol and triglycerides did not differ between the two groups.
Why was the egg-containing diet more effective? An earlier study by the same researchers suggested that an egg breakfast provided greater satiety, and reduced subsequent energy intake. Whether this was due to the protein, fat, or some other property specific to eggs was not determined.
In my experience, this sounds just about right. Eggs contain a solid amount of high quality protein and fat. I frequently chomp down on a couple of eggs first thing in the morning, and they keep me going for a much longer time than a carb-based breakfast does (and – as noted here – my HDL and LDL cholesterol levels are in great shape, as are other risk factors for cardiovascular disease).
So skip the “Slim Fast,” “Special K” and other, carb-centered “diet” breakfasts that leave you starving before you’re halfway to lunch. For healthy men and women, eggs look like a superior choice.
