Consuming Two Eggs per Day, as Compared to an Oatmeal Breakfast, Decreases Plasma Ghrelin while Maintaining the LDL/HDL Ratio

Abstract

Eggs contain high quality protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, yet regular consumption is still met with uncertainty. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the effects of consuming two eggs per day or a heart-healthy oatmeal breakfast on biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and satiety measures in a young, healthy population. Fifty subjects participated in a randomized crossover clinical intervention; subjects were randomly allocated to consume either two eggs or one packet of oatmeal per day for breakfast for four weeks. After a three-week washout period, participants were allocated to the alternative breakfast. Fasting blood samples were collected at the end of each intervention period to assess plasma lipids and plasma ghrelin. Subjects completed visual analog scales (VAS) concurrent to dietary records to assess satiety and hunger. Along with an increase in cholesterol intake, there were significant increases in both low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol following the egg consumption period (p < 0.01). However, there was no difference in the LDL/HDL ratio, a recognized biomarker of CVD risk, nor in the plasma glucose, triglycerides or liver enzymes, between diet periods. Several self-reported satiety measures were increased following the consumption of eggs, which were associated with lower plasma ghrelin concentrations (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that compared to an oatmeal breakfast, two eggs per day do not adversely affect the biomarkers associated with CVD risk, but increase satiety throughout the day in a young healthy population.

The Impact of Egg Nutrient Composition and Its Consumption on Cholesterol Homeostasis

“…LDL-C/HDL-C ratio <2.5 is considered to be the cut-point of personal lipoprotein recommendations, and there is evidence that, in some people above this level, the risk of cardiovascular events is higher [129, 130]. Other studies in children and adults with normal cholesterol levels also reported the significant increase of LDL-C and HDL-C with 2-4 eggs' intake per day comparing to without egg yolk, while the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio did not change [92, 123, 124, 131]. Although Herron reported an increase of LDL-C/HDL-C ratio consuming 3 eggs per day for 30 days in healthy men who were classified as hyperresponders (increase in total cholesterol of ≥0.06 mmol/L for each additional 100 mg of dietary cholesterol consumed), the average ratio (2.33±0.80) was still in the normal range of <2.5 [126].…”

“…Large epidemiological works have been conducted to investigate the effect of egg intake on blood cholesterol levels and risk of CVD in children [123], young people [16, 20, 47, 124], women [12–14, 125, 195, 196], men [12–14, 125, 195–199], and older adults [12–14, 125, 195–200]. Some have shown that egg consumption did influence the blood cholesterol level but did not increase the risk of CVD in healthy people.…”

Effect of egg consumption on inflammatory markers: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials

“…Figure provides the rationale for exclusion of each article. Finally, nine publications (481 participants) were considered eligible for the systematic review . Eight studies reported circulating hs‐CRP concentrations, Five studies reported circulating TNF‐ α concentrations, and four studies reported circulating IL‐6 concentrations …”

“…The total duration of the studies included in the analysis ranged from 4 to 48 weeks. Two of these studies, which utilized a cross‐over design, included a 3 week wash out period . The amount of egg consumption between studies varied from 1 to 3 eggs per day for the intervention groups.…”

“…The amount of egg consumption between studies varied from 1 to 3 eggs per day for the intervention groups. The mean age of the enrolled participants ranged from 18 to 77 years and all subjects were healthy, had T2DM, or metabolic syndrome . All studies used whole eggs as the intervention and egg whites or egg substitute as the control, with the exception of two studies that fed oatmeal or lean animal protein as a control.…”