What is thought to be the first major research study into the British breakfast has concluded that eggs are ideal for people who want to control their weight.
The study has been conducted at Surrey University and the findings reflect the results of previous work conducted in the United States. However, the American research compared an egg breakfast with bagels - the main breakfast alternative on the other side of the Atlantic. The Surrey study compared eggs with alternatives commonly eaten here - cereals and croissants, and the results are good news for egg lovers.
"This study provides yet more evidence that eating eggs at breakfast can help keep us feeling fuller for longer and may help people to eat less at subsequent meals, thus helping with weight loss," said Professor Bruce Griffin, who carried out the study.
Professor Griffin’s findings, which were presented at the Nutrition Society winter meeting, suggest that eating eggs for breakfast can help reduce calories at lunch and dinner. Compared to other common breakfast foods, eggs can help weight loss by keeping you fuller for longer and helping to reduce calorie intake from subsequent meals.
The research was partially sponsored by the British Egg Industry Council, and Amanda Cryer of the British Egg Information Service said that the results were very welcome. "It supports what we have seen from previous research in the United States, but more importantly this work looks at the British breakfast. Bruce Griffin has looked into what we commonly eat for breakfast in this country."
She said that this was the first major study of its kind in the United Kingdom and it had provided further evidence to add weight to the growing reputation of eggs as a superfood. "We are seeing lots of evidence that shows the importance of eggs in the diet."
The Surrey research shows that eating eggs at breakfast increases satiety, reduces hunger and subsequently reduces energy intake at lunch when compared to a cereal-based breakfast and at dinner when compared with a croissant-based breakfast.
A total of 30 people took part in the trial, which took place over a number of weeks. The randomised study involved participants consuming one of three typical UK test breakfasts, although each alternative breakfast was carefully analysed to ensure that each comprised the same number of calories. One breakfast consisted of eggs on toast, a second was cornflakes and milk together with toast, and a third was a typical continental breakfast of croissant and orange juice.
At subsequent meals the participants in the study were invited to eat as much as they wanted for lunch and dinner. Those who had eaten eggs for breakfast ate less during these other meals. The Surrey team said that participants showed increased satiety, less hunger, and a lower desire to eat after the egg breakfast compared with the cereal and croissant-based breakfasts. The egg breakfast was also related to a significantly lower intake of energy at lunch and evening compared to the other commonly eaten breakfasts, it said.
These findings add to a growing body of evidence that suggests including eggs in the diet can support weight loss diets. Earlier this year research published in The International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition showed that an egg-based lunch could help people feel fuller for longer when compared with other common lunches with similar calorie counts.
Research in the United States published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that when women were given either an egg or bagel-based-breakfast of equal calories, the women eating the eggs felt fuller and had less desire to eat other foods within the following 24 hours.
Another study, published in 2010, compared eating a three-egg breakfast with a low fat bagel breakfast in a group of men. The researchers found that the participants were less hungry and consumed less energy at lunch after having the egg breakfast. Their response
to ghrelin - the only hormone known to stimulate hunger - was suppressed.
A string of other studies have indicated that eating eggs as part of a balanced diet is a great way to obtain a number of vitamins and minerals our bodies need. A study published in 2010 in the Journal of Nutrition & Food Science revealed that eggs were one of the most nutrient-dense foods that money could buy and recommended we should be eating at least one egg a day to get the optimum benefits.
