Washington, DC – Nine studies presented at this week's Experimental Biology 2007 meeting support the growing body of research on the nutritional benefits of egg consumption, including its promotion of weight loss and its role in providing choline, an essential nutrient often lacking in the diet that promotes brain and memory development and function.
Among the findings presented at Experimental Biology:
Eggs for Breakfast Help Promote Weight Loss (Embargo April 29, 2007)
A randomized control trial led by Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of infection and obesity at Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that overweight and obese women who consumed a breakfast of two eggs a day (for five days a week or more) for 8 weeks, as part of a low-fat diet with a 1,000 calorie deficit:
This study further substantiates the findings of a previous study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2 which found that an egg breakfast induced greater satiety and significantly reduced short-term food intake compared to a calorically equivalent bagel breakfast. In both studies, the egg and bagel breakfasts not only provided the same amount of calories, but also the same weight mass, an important control factor in satiety and weight loss studies. Also of note, the study found no significant differences between the plasma total-, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels of either group.
Closing the Choline Gap with Eggs (Embargo May 2, 2007)
Researchers at Iowa State University assessed choline intake in the diets of specific subsets of the U.S. population and found that usual intake is far below the Adequate Intake (AI) levels for older children, men, women and pregnant women. 3
Putting Egg Recommendations Into Perspective (Embargo April 30, 2007)
Researchers are beginning to challenge egg consumption restrictions that are based on studies that examined dietary cholesterol and saturated fat together. Research on the independent effect of dietary cholesterol shows no significant effect on heart disease risk.
For more information, please visit www.enc-online.org or contact the Egg Nutrition Media Hotline at 312-233-1211 or info@eggnutrition.org .
About the American Egg Board (AEB)
AEB is the U.S. egg producer's link to the consumer in communicating the value of The incredible edible egg™ and is funded from a national legislative checkoff on all egg production from companies with greater than 75,000 layers in the continental United States. The board consists of 18 members and 18 alternates from all regions of the country who are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The AEB staff carries out the programs under the board direction. AEB is located in Park Ridge, Ill. Visit www.aeb.org for more information.
About the Egg Nutrition Center (ENC)
ENC was established in 1979 for the purpose of providing commercial egg producers and processors, health promotion agencies, and consumers with a resource for scientifically accurate information on egg nutrition and the role of eggs in the health and nutrition of the American diet. The center exists under a cooperative agreement between the American Egg Board (AEB) and United Egg Producers (UEP). ENC is located in Washington, DC. Visit www.enc-online.org for more information.
1 Presented by Nikhil V. Dhurandhar at Experimental Biology 2007; "Egg breakfast enhances weight loss." (Research supported by the Egg Nutrition Center and the American Egg Board)
2 Vander Wal JS, et al. "Short term effect of eggs on satiety in overweight and obese subjects." J Am Coll Nutr. 2005; Dec;24(6): 510-5. (Research supported by the Egg Nutrition Center and the American Egg Board)
3 Presented by Helen H. Jensen at Experimental Biology 2007; "Choline in the diets of the US population: NHANES, 2003-2004." (Research supported by the Egg Nutrition Center and the American Egg Board)
4 Zeizel SH. "Choline: needed for normal development of memory." J Am Coll Nutr. 2000; Oct; 19(5 Suppl): 528S-531S. (Research supported by the Egg Nutrition Center and the American Egg Board)
5 Zeisel SH, et al. "Perinatal choline influences brain structure and function." Nutr Rev. 2006; Apr;64(4):197-203.
6 Presented by Debra R Keast at National Nutrient Data Bank Conference 2007; "Food sources of choline in the diets of US older adults: NHANES, 1999-2004."
7 Presented by Nga L Tran at Experimental Biology 2007; "Balancing and communicating risks and benefits associated with egg consumption – a relative risk study." (Research supported by the Egg Nutrition Center and the American Egg Board)