Eggs are a rich source of a number of nutrients, including protein, vitamins A and D and phosphorus. They also contain choline, a compound that improves brain function. In addition, evidence indicates that incorporating eggs into your daily diet might decrease appetite and stimulate fat burning.
Thermogenesis
Eggs contain high-quality protein and increasing your protein intake might boost fat burning, according to a review performed by scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health. They concluded that protein-rich foods increase thermogenesis, or the process of converting energy into heat. This in turn induces calorie burning and enhances weight loss. The findings were published in the October 2004 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition."
Satiety
The main mechanism by which eggs increase fat loss is by boosting your satiety, or sense of fullness. Increasing satiety leads to a reduction in calorie intake, which stimulates the use of stored body fat as energy. Researchers at Saint Louis University assigned overweight and obese subjects an egg or a bagel breakfast. They reported in the December 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" that those in the egg group experienced greater feelings of satiety and ate fewer calories over the next 36 hours compared with those consuming a bagel-based breakfast.
Ghrelin
Similar results were also found in another study published in the January 2010 issue of "Nutrition Research." Scientists at the University of Connecticut assigned participants an egg or bagel breakfast and then three hours later asked them to eat a buffet lunch until satisfied. They observed that those in the egg group ate fewer calories during the buffet lunch and had lower levels of ghrelin, a gut hormone that increases hunger, compared with those who had consumed a bagel breakfast.
Cholesterol Concern
Although eggs do boost fat burning and satiety, you may worry that egg consumption can increase your cholesterol levels. When low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol undergoes oxidation, it decreases in particle size and increases your risk for heart disease. Scientists at the University of Connecticut observed that women and men consuming three eggs per day for 30 days experienced no decreases in LDL particle size, according to research reported in the June 2004 issue of "Metabolism."
References
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; The Effects of High Protein Diets on Thermogenesis, Satiety and Weight Loss: a Critical Review; T.L. Halton and F.B. Hu; October 2004
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Short-Term Effect of Eggs on Satiety in Overweight and Obese Subjects; J.S. Vander Wal et al.; December 2005
- "Nutrition Research"; Consuming Eggs for Breakfast Influences Plasma Glucose and Ghrelin, Energy Intake During the Next 24 Hours in Adult Men; J. Ratliff et al.; February 2010
- "Metabolism"; High Intake of Cholesterol Results in Less Atherogenic Low-Density Lipoprotein Particles in Men and Women Independent of Response Classification; K.L. Herron et al.; June 2004
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