Eggs are a low-calorie food loaded with high-quality protein and brain-boosting choline. In addition, they are a rich source of B vitamins, vitamin A, iodine and zinc. Research indicates that eating eggs might be effective for dropping body fat, since it preserves muscle mass and decreases calorie intake.
Leucine
Eggs are rich in the amino acid leucine, which might have beneficial effects on weight loss. Scientists from the University of Illinois investigated the impact of increasing protein on weight loss in overweight women. Participants were randomly assigned to either a diet containing 0.36 g of protein and 1.3 g of carbs per pound of body weight or 0.73 g of protein and 0.95 g of carbs per pound of body weight. Both groups consumed high-quality proteins containing leucine, including beef, eggs and poultry. At the end of the 10-week study, lead author Donald Layman and colleagues discovered that both groups lost 16 lbs., but the higher-protein group lost more body fat and less muscle mass compared to the other group. Preserving muscle mass increases weight loss, since the body burns calories to hold onto muscle.
Vitamin B-12
Eggs contain vitamin B-12, a water-soluble vitamin that plays a role in fat loss. Vitamin B-12 boosts your metabolism, or the rate at which your body burns calories, by increasing the conversion of food into energy. It also enhances the breakdown of fatty acids in your body.
Reduces Calorie Intake
Researchers from St. Louis University studied the effects of egg consumption on satiety in overweight and obese subjects. The report, which was published in the December 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," reveals that study participants consuming an egg breakfast ate fewer calories for the next 36 hours compared to those consuming a bagel breakfast. Decreasing calorie intake enhances the body's use of fat for energy.
Ghrelin
Eggs decrease ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger. According to the January 2010 issue of the journal "Nutrition Research," scientists from the University of Connecticut studied the effects of consuming eggs for breakfast on satiety and calorie intake throughout the day. Lead author Joseph Ratliff and colleagues assigned participants an egg or bagel breakfast equivalent in calories. Three hours later, subjects had a buffet lunch and were asked to eat until satisfied. Scientists observed that those in the egg group ate fewer calories at lunch and in the 24 hours after breakfast compared to those in the bagel group.
References
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Aces News: Research Sheds Light on Why Protein-Rich Diets Aid Weight Loss
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
- Nutrition Research: Consuming Eggs For Breakfast Influences Plasma Glucose and Ghrelin, While Reducing Energy Intake During the Next 24 Hours in Adult Men
- PubMed.gov: Short-term Effect of Eggs on Satiety in Overweight and Obese Subjects
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