Tag: protein

Eat eggs for breakfast and you might eat less at lunch

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN
Eggs for breakfast helps you eat less
Eating eggs for breakfast might help you eat less at lunch

Here’s an example of a well-designed, industry-funded study that–unlike others I’ve mentioned in the past–actually yielded useful information.

The study, which was funded by the American Egg Board, found that people who ate eggs for breakfast were less hungry and ate less for lunch than people who ate cereal.  But before you conclude that the study was simply rigged to yield a flattering result for the funder, take a closer look at how it was designed.

Although it’s impossible for a study like this to be truly “blinded” (how do you keep the subject from knowing that they are eating eggs instead of cereal?), the effects on satiety and subsequent food intake were measured objectively as well as subjectively. The subjects were asked to rate their hunger but researchers also took blood samples and found that levels of “hunger” hormones were consistent with their reports. They also didn’t ask the subjects to self-report their subsequent food intake; they actually measured how much the subjects ate (without the subjects being aware of that their intake was being monitored). The study is currently before a peer-review board.

Now, if this were just a story about protein being more filling than carbohydrates, I wouldn’t be wasting space here on my blog with it. (See also: How to eat less without feeling hungry.)  But here’s what’s particularly interesting about these results:

The two breakfasts contained virtually  the same amount of protein.  

The protein in eggs is considered to be a higher quality  than wheat protein because it provides a more balanced and complete profile of amino acids.   The study suggests, therefore, that when it comes to controlling hunger, it’s not just about how many grams of protein you include in your meal. The quality of the protein appears to be  at least as important as the quantity.  Definitely something for vegans to keep in mind…it may take more grams of vegetable protein to get the same appetite-controlling effect as you would get from animal sources.

Before we go re-writing the dietary guidelines, I should note that the study only involved 20 subjects, all of whom were obese. It remains to be seen whether we’d see the same results in non-obese subjects (or in a larger study group). I’d also be interested in taking this research a step further, comparing eggs and wheat to other protein sources, like dairy, soy, fish, or legumes.

In the meantime, however, this is an interesting contribution to the “What’s for breakfast” debate.

See also: Can we Trust Industry Funded Research?

High Protein Diets Pile On More Pounds? Yes, but…

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

The Managing Editor of ABC News Medical Unit emailed me yesterday, asking for help understanding a new study on high protein diets.  In the study, the researchers put people on high-calorie diets ranging from 5 to 25% protein. They expected to find that the people on the high-protein diets would gain less fat.  In fact, all three groups gained the same amount of fat. But the researchers were also surprised to find that those on the low-protein diet gained less weight.

“I am having trouble figuring out if low protein is a good thing thing or a bad thing according to this study,” he wrote. “Isn’t it good that it lead to [less weight gain] than high protein? I am not sure what message there is for the public.”

Here’s my answer:

First, remember this study involved purposely over-feeding people in order to make them gain weight, so it’s not directly relevant to people who are restricting calories in order to lose or maintain their weight.  (And, as an aside, people who eat more protein often end up eating fewer calories because protein tends to be more satiating.)

See also: How to Eat Less Without Feeling Hungry

Secondly, the subjects all gained similar amounts of body fat, which is exactly what you would expect when people eat more calories than they burn..the excess is stored as fat.

The key finding in my mind is that the people on the higher protein diet gained lean muscle tissue (in addition to fat) and the people on the lower protein diet lost lean muscle tissue.  That explains why the high protein group gained more weight. But it does not mean that they ended up worse off.  In fact, you could argue that the increase in muscle tissue (and the corresponding increase in metabolism) in the high protein group partially offsets the negative impact of the fat gain.

As I commented to Roger, I think there are two take-home messages for the public, neither of which is particularly new:

1.  Too many calories will lead to an increase in stored fat, no matter what the source of those calories.
2. Higher-protein diets appear to promote (or at least preserve) lean muscle tissue and that’s generally a good thing.

And one important take-home message for the scientific community.

3. BMI (weight) doesn’t tell the whole story. When evaluating the effects of different diets on health, you need to take body composition (percentages of body fat and lean muscle) into consideration as well.  In this study, if you only looked at the change in BMI, you’d conclude that the high-protein diet did more damage than the low-protein diet. But when you look at the changes in lean body tissue and fat, it appears to be just the opposite. If I weigh more but have less fat and more muscle, I’m probably better off than someone who weighs less but has more fat.

Related content: How Much Protein Should You Eat?

Industry Sponsored Research at its Most Useless

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

What a waste of everyone’s time.

A company that manufactures a soy-based meal replacement drink funds a study comparing a soy-based meal replacement (i.e., their product) with a “standard breakfast” which had the same number of calories but was lower in protein, higher in refined carbohydrates. They found–gasp!–that the high protein breakfast controlled hunger better and regulated fat-burning metabolism.  Conclusion: Meal replacement regimes high in soy protein are beneficial for weight loss and metabolic syndrome.

What about this study design suggests that soy had anything to do with this?  The results were completely predictable based solely on the glycemic load and protein content.  Here, in fact, is a different study showing that you get more or less the same results using casein (milk protein).

I’ve argued in the past that industry-funded research can play a valuable part in the expensive world of nutrition research.  This study, however, was a waste of time, money, and resources. It generates no useful, new information and serves only to promote a product. Shame on the researchers who dignified the study with their time and to the journal that published it.

Ask Monica: Should I Eat More to Burn More?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. I started an exercise regime that says I should eat more than I normally do so that my body will burn the calories to lose the weight. The exercises are weight training and cardio and last about 45-60 min per day/ 5 days a week. Is it true that we should to eat more to burn more? I’m have been on the program for 90 days with minimal weight loss.

A.  I wish you’d written about 89 days ago because I’m afraid you’ve been given some bad information.  Simply eating more (or eating more frequently) does not cause your body to burn calories at a faster rate than it otherwise would. Continue reading “Ask Monica: Should I Eat More to Burn More?” >

When is White Bread Preferable to Whole Wheat?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

In my recent post “Are Your Nutrition Priorities in the Right Order?” I observed that portion size has a bigger impact on blood sugar than whether a grain product is whole or refined.

Laura’s not buying it! She comments:

So you’re saying that eating 1 peanut butter sandwich on white bread is better nutritionally than eating 2 on whole wheat bread? I find that hard to believe.

Fair enough. Let’s take a look at how these two options stack up. Continue reading “When is White Bread Preferable to Whole Wheat?” >

Does a High Fat Breakfast Burn More Fat?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Hold the skim latte and bring on the butter? High-fat breakfasts are enjoying a comeback in some circles, after a study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that rats who ate a high fat breakfast burned more fat throughout the day than rats who ate a high carbohydrate breakfast.

But the reality on the ground looks a little different. Multiple studies have found that people who eat high fat breakfasts end up eating more calories over the course of the day–almost certainly trumping any increase in the fat-burning metabolism observed in the mouse study.

That’s not to say that a breakfast high in refined carbohydrates (corn flakes, toast, jelly, juice, etc.) is the way to go.  The ideal breakfast for appetite and weight control appears to be one that’s high in both protein and fiber. So bring on the eggs, tofu, cottage cheese, yogurt, oatmeal and other whole grain cereals.

As a bonus, research suggests that this type of low-glycemic breakfast may help you burn more fat during your lunch-time workout.

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Special Live Event!

Join me tomorrow night, March 8th, at 9pm Eastern for a forum on breakfast, fitness, and weight management. Joining me for this live webcast are Ben Greenfield of BenGreenfieldFitness.com, Darya Pino, PhD of  SummerTomato.com, and Gloria Tsang, MS, RD of Healthcastle.com.  Your questions and comments are welcome.  The event will be broadcast right here on NutritionOverEasy.com.  Click here to RSVP.

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The Studies:

Time-of-day-dependent dietary fat consumption influences multiple cardiometabolic syndrome parameters in mice.

Energy and macronutrient composition of breakfast affect gastric emptying of lunch and subsequent food intake, satiety and satiation.

The effects of high-carbohydrate vs high-fat breakfasts on feelings of fullness and alertness, and subsequent food intake

Fat oxidation during exercise and satiety during recovery are increased following a low-glycemic index breakfast in sedentary women.

 

This Week’s Podcast: How to Eat Less Without Feeling Hungry

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling FabulousAs you may have noticed, whether I’m talking about reducing your risk of heart disease, preventing Type 2 diabetes, or slowing the aging process, one piece of advice keeps coming up over and over again: Maintain a healthy weight. Of course I realize that this is a lot easier said than done.  In order to lose weight, you have to eat less and when you eat less you usually feel hungry, which most of us find unpleasant. So this week, I have some tips for you on how to eat fewer calories without feeling hungry.