I was watching Oprah’s show when I was a freshman at Frostburg State University (yes, I know that admitting this may require that I forfeit my man-card). In one specific episode , she had a “weight loss expert” speaking about how the bagel is “the perfect diet-food” because it has a balance of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. So, after learning that the bagel was granted? the official stamp of approval by Oprah , I started eating bagels and, admittedly, I enjoyed them. Hindsight being 20/20, I am certain that the choice to blindly follow the advice of this “expert” contributed to the freshman-fifteen that I quickly accumulated.
Although my tale is interesting (at least to me), it is not a scientific observation. Years later , researchers put the bagel up against the incredible, edible egg in a toe-to-toe battle against obesity . What is interesting is how each of these foods is seen ; the bagel is commonly seen as a “health food” while the egg is frequently blamed for Uncle Frank’s unanticipated heart attack. The results are in and let me tell you what happened…
Eggs trumped the bagel!
In this study, egg-eaters:
- Consumed fewer calories within a day
- Felt less hunger throughout the day
- Lost more pounds than the bagel eaters
“But what about cholesterol?” you may ask. Cholesterol and triglyceridesdid not change . In addition, various other studies have found that eggs do not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, even when consumed very frequently . In fact, most research suggests that bagels are more likely to increase cholesterol than a daily meal of eggs.
Sorry Bagels, you have been tested, tried in the court of science, and been found lacking ! If your favorite weight loss blog or weight loss podcast is touting bagels as “The Ultimate Weight Loss Food”, you may want to drop a comment or two. And Oprah, if you are reading this, we all still love you, just be a little more careful with your advice next time.
(Experimental Biology Conference, April 2009)
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