August 7, 2008

Eating Eggs for Breakfast May Help Dieters Shed Pounds

A recent study has found that eating a fairly low calorie breakfast of eggs is far better for your diet than eating a similarly low-calorie bagel ...
Eating two eggs for breakfast may help dieters drop more pounds than eating bagel breakfasts containing equal calories, a new suggests.

Subjects in the reduced-calorie egg breakfast group lost an average of 65% more weight than their counterparts ... and their average BMIs were 61% lower.

Researchers studied 256 individuals with body mass indices (BMI) of 25 or more, which is considered overweight by healthcare professionals. Participants were split into four groups: one group was asked to eat reduced-calorie breakfasts containing two eggs. Another group ate reduced-calorie bagel breakfasts matched with the reduced-calorie egg group for calorie content and energy density (or weight), a factor that has been previously shown to be important for satiety in weight loss studies. The third and fourth groups ate breakfasts of eggs or bagels that were not low-calorie.

After eight weeks of continuing their respective regimens for at least 5 days per week, subjects in the reduced-calorie egg breakfast group lost an average of 65% more weight than their counterparts in the reduced-calorie bagel group, and their average BMIs were 61% lower. The reduced-calorie egg group also showed a 34% greater drop in their waist circumference measurements and lost an average of 16% more body fat than the bagel breakfast dieters. No differences were found between the other two groups. The study was published in the August 5th online edition of the International Journal of Obesity.

Researchers agree that the presence of high-quality protein contained in eggs is probably what is responsible for the higher levels of satiety and the increase in multiple weight loss parameters. Head researcher Nikhil V. Dhurandhar points out that if dieters are more satisfied and feeling more energized from the foods they eat, it is more likely that they will stick to their weight loss regimen and see greater results.

Worried about what adding two eggs will do to your cholesterol level? The research suggests that you shouldn't worry too much. At the completion of the study all four groups were found to have similar levels of total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. This result, corroborated by other studies of the past, suggests that one can add two eggs to the diet daily, without significantly jeopardizing one's heart health.
NOTE: We regret that we cannot answer personal medical questions.
© 2016 interMDnet Corporation.