Decades ago it was thought that they were bad for cholesterol, but this is not so. Now it is recommended to consume them whole for their protein quality, which is beneficial for muscle maintenance. Not only the egg white, but also the yolk.
Two studies published in the 'National Center for Biotechnology Information' -NBCI- of the United States point out the benefits of the eggs consumed with white and yolk,both for healthy weight lossespecially at breakfast, as well as to maintain muscle fiber. The first of these, 'Egg breakfast enhances weight loss', notes that "satiety is positively associated with the protein, fiber, and water content of foods, and negatively with fat and palatability scores. However, within food groups, there can be as much as a twofold difference in satiety values, suggesting that certain foods cause greater satiety, independent of macronutrient content or energy density."
Starting the day with eggs has a greater satiating effect, which translates into a lower caloric intake at lunch.
They are better than any other food sports supplement protein-based protein supplements that are commonly used for intense sports activities. There is also evidence that, contrary to what was thought a few decades ago, are not harmful to cholesterol, but also good for the heart. And in the case of muscle development, not only the egg white is good - as has been advocated for years - but also the yolk. The preparation is very varied and does not affect their properties, so they are already poached, scrambled eggs or cooked -fried is less recommended-, are indicated in the case of the first meal of the day to obtain energy, to promote lower food intake between meals and for a high protein diet.
"An egg is a good food for slimming as it has a satiety index of 50% higher with respect to the white bread or cereals with milk. Compared to an isocaloric donut breakfast of equal weight, the egg had a greater satiating effect, which translated into a lower caloric intake at lunch. The resulting decrease in energy intake lasted at least 24 hours after breakfast."
It cannot, however, be considered a 'miracle' food. The study qualifies that this effect is observed when a low-calorie diet is followed: "The results clearly show that when no diet is followed, breakfast with eggs did not produce weight loss". In any case, what the researchers do point out is that the satiating effect and the result of a protein-rich breakfast is compatible with weight reduction compared to one based on carbohydrates. And although they qualify that "the additional protein in the egg is important for weight, its contribution also depends on the rest of protein intake throughout the day.
Muscle maintenance
As for their effectiveness for muscle performance, the authors of the other NBCI study, 'Consumption of whole eggs promotes greater stimulation of postexercise muscle protein synthesis than consumption of isonitrogenous amounts of egg whites in young men', explain that "exercise-mediated stimulation of muscle myofibers in conjunction with the intake of whole eggs boost protein synthesis rates, compared to isonitrogenous amounts of egg whites in young people. In contrast, dietary protein may exhibit differential anabolic properties in skeletal muscle tissue when consumed within its natural matrix of whole foods. In addition, the consumption of protein-rich foods in the form of whole eggs and egg whites improves the net protein balance throughout the body with respect to to similar sources of isolated proteins, such as, for example, the whey and casein".
