‘Stubborn’ visceral fat can be reduced by eating eggs – expert

We all have some amount of visceral fat in our bodies. Located deep in the abdomen, it is needed to protect and insulate vital organs.

However, storing too much of it is dangerous and increases the risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.

An expert spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about ways to reduce your visceral fat.

Physician Deborah Lee from the Dr. Fox Online Pharmacy recommended including eggs in your diet for this purpose.

She explained, “Many studies have shown that increasing protein intake helps with weight loss — and that includes losing visceral (belly) fat.”

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“A very high-protein food option is eggs. The average egg (about 52 grams) contains 6.3 g of protein – so two eggs provide 12 to 14 g of protein.

“Adults need 45 to 56g of protein per day, depending on how active they are. Eggs are a perfect source of essential amino acids for human health.

“They’re low in calories — an average egg has about 60 calories. Eggs are a great source of vitamin D, choline, as well as B vitamins and vitamin A.

“It’s perfectly safe to eat eggs every day – it doesn’t increase your risk of heart disease.

“Eat up to three eggs a day on a weight-loss diet for maximum benefit.”

protein and weight loss

dr Lee pointed out that increasing protein intake can help shed “stubborn” visceral fat.

“Increasing your protein intake speeds up your metabolism,” she said.

“Increasing your protein intake from 20 percent to 30 percent a day can burn an extra 60 calories.

“After eating protein, body temperature rises—this is called dietary thermogenesis. The maximum effect is achieved by consuming protein.

“A high-protein diet helps you feel fuller for longer.

“Intake of protein stimulates the release of cholecystokinin (CKK) in the gut, a hormone that delays gastric emptying. CKK has been associated with decreased food intake, smaller portion sizes, and increased feelings of fullness.

“Increasing protein intake may help reduce cravings. In a 2017 study, women eating a high-protein diet (124g per day) reduced their binge eating and cravings by 15 percent compared to the group eating a normal protein diet (48g).

“A high-protein diet helps maintain muscle mass. Weight loss leads to loss of fat as well as loss of lean body mass (muscle).

“Ways to maintain lean body mass while dieting include regular exercise, especially strength training, and eating more protein.”

What does the research say?

A study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition in 2022 looked at the effects of eating eggs on 355 university students in Spain.

It states: “Participants who reported high egg consumption (five or more eggs per week) had significantly lower scores for body mass index, weight circumference, and body fat mass, and higher percent lean body mass than those who reported more reported low egg consumption (less than one egg per week).”

The study concluded, “This finding is important from a public health perspective and suggests that higher egg consumption (five or more eggs per week) may lead to healthier body composition, particularly due to higher protein intake.”

A separate article published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2020 examined the association between egg consumption and weight loss in more than 2,200 participants.

“Egg consumption may be beneficial for weight regulation, particularly in overweight women with excessive body fat/central obesity,” it said.