Todays post comes from guest blogger, Apeksha Gulvady, PhD. Apeksha holds an MA and PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Texas in Austin, where her research focused on the role of aging and diet-induced obesity on immune cell function. Apeksha previously worked with PepsiCo R&D, where she supported core nutrition business activities and priorities in both global foods and beverages, and has recently joined Edelman Public Relations to pursue her passion for nutrition communications.
For years, a single nutrient paradigm laid the foundation for the efforts of nutrition science to target nutrient deficiencies. As associations between lifestyle factors and chronic diseases became more evident, the focus of research fittingly transitioned from individual nutrients to foods as carriers of these nutrients, and finally to dietary patterns of food intake that can potentially impact health. Studies on protein advanced similarly and earned their way onto the dais at the 2014 Experimental Biology (EB) conference the worlds largest life sciences annual meeting, comprised of 24,000+ scientific researchers, federal regulators, consumer groups and industry representatives.
After four exciting days at the conference in San Diego this year, attendees brains were brimming with information about the power of protein in the diet, among other key topics. Protein sessions were some of the best attended sessions overall, suggesting that protein research remains of prime interest to the nutrition science community. Protein studies, several of which were supported in part or full by the ENC research grant program, pointed to how adjustment of both quality and quantity of this macronutrient can bring about small but meaningful changes in metabolism and body composition.
In one study presented at EB 2014, egg protein, when consumed for breakfast, was shown to affect postprandial energy metabolism and provide increased satiety in overweight children.1 Protein, therefore, may play a key role in weight management. Another study demonstrated that consumption of one egg per day did not influence blood lipid levels in diabetic patients. Egg protein was thus concluded to not increase risk for cardiovascular disease in the study population.2
Beyond protein, evidence from a meta-analysis of dietary cholesterol and heart health suggested that previously declared correlations between dietary cholesterol consumption and heart disease may be unfounded.3 Researchers also investigated the effects of differential macronutrient distribution in the diet and found that lowering carbohydrate intake had the potential to decrease insulin resistance4 and accelerate fat oxidation.5 Exploring the link between diet, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, an animal study found whole egg protein increased blood vitamin D concentrations and favorably affected physiologic diabetic dysfunctions.6 And in another study of nutrient adequacy, eggs were found to potentially positively impact serum levels of certain carotenoids.7
As presented at the 2014 EB conference, current evidence thus suggests that consuming eggs as a source of high-quality protein may assist in weight loss, improve disease risk factors and promote intakes of certain nutrients. However, whether the aforementioned effects can be sustained over time warrants additional investigation.
References:
- Binns A, Gray M, Seo H-S, Zhang B, Luckett C, Smith K, Baum JI. Consumption of an egg-based breakfast reduces hunger and increases postprandial energy metabolism in normal weight (NW) and overweight (OW) school-aged children. FASEB J. 2014;28(1S):381.4.
- Ballesteros MN, Valenzuela F, Robles A, Artalejo E, Valdez H, Fernandez ML. One egg a day does not increase the risk for cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients. FASEB J. 2014;28(1S):381.5
- Berger SE, Raman G, Vishwanathan R, Jacques P, Johnson EJ. Dietary cholesterol and heart health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. FASEB J. 2014;28(1S):267.6.
- Watkins BA, Pappan KL, Kim J, Freidenreich D, Kunces L, Volk B, Saenz C, Volek J. Carbohydrate feeding and impact on global metabolomics in relation to insulin sensitivity in men with metabolic syndrome. FASEB J. 2014;28(1S):248.8.
- Kunces LJ, Volk B, Freidenreich D, Saenz C, Fernandez ML, Maresh C, Kraemer W, Phinney S, Volek J. Effect of a very low carbohydrate diet followed by incremental increases in carbohydrate on respiratory exchange ratio. FASEB J. 2014;28(1S):LB444.
- Van Wyk K, Schalinske K. Whole egg protein markedly increases blood vitamin D concentrations in male Sprague-Dawley rats. FASEB J. 2014;28(1S):1041.9.
- Aljohi H, Dopler-Nelson M, Wilson TA. Consumption of 12 eggs per week for 1 year increases serum zeaxanthin concentrations but not other major carotenoids, tocopherols, and retinol in humans. FASEB J. 2014;28(1S):645.25.