Whether or not people should eat eggs everyday for breakfast is a consistently debated topic due to the cholesterol in eggs, and cholesterol's link to heart disease. However, recent research suggests that consuming eggs for breakfast may help you to feel fuller longer and lose weight.
Background
With obesity on the rise, researchers are increasingly searching for ways to help people eat less and shed those extra pounds. A 2005 study in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" reports that eating eggs makes people feel more full than other common breakfast foods. This led researchers to examine if this is the case in overweight and obese subjects, and if it can also lead to weight loss.
Research
In a 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," Vander and colleagues report that overweight women who eat an egg breakfast, compared to overweight women who eat a bagel breakfast of equal calories and weight, feel fuller and eat less in the hours after breakfast. A follow up study of both men and women in a 2008 issue of the "International Journal of Obesity" found that those on a reduced calorie diet who eat two eggs for breakfast instead of following a reduced calorie diet and eating a bagel, lost 65 percent more weight.
Significance
This research means that if you are trying to lose weight, eating eggs for breakfast instead of a bagel while on a reduced calorie diet may help you do just that. Of course, it is important to realize that simply switching your morning bagel for two eggs will not necessarily lead to weight loss, as participants who were not on a reduced calorie diet while consuming eggs did not lose any more weight than those not on a reduced calorie diet and eating bagels. Instead, the study showed including eggs in a full weight loss program may enhance your weight loss.
Considerations
The Mayo Clinic reports that one egg a day keeps you within your daily cholesterol allowance if you are a healthy individual. If you have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or high blood cholesterol levels, eating one egg a day means you have maxed out your daily cholesterol allowance, and you may want to consider egg whites instead. However, Vander and colleagues say that the Nurses Health Study showed egg consumption does not contribute to the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. It is best to discuss with your doctor whether eating an egg breakfast is right for you.
Member Comments