What is an egg diet? High protein, low carbs, constipation, weight loss!

The egg diet is a high protein low carbs and low calories diet for weight loss. What are it’s types? Is it effective? Most importantly, is it safe in the long term? What are the perils of following this diet?

The egg diet

Eggs are a rich source of highly bioavailable protein. Each medium sized egg weighing around 60 grams has 60 calories and 6 grams of protein. In an egg diet, eggs are the main food components in the daily diet. Thus, it is a high protein and low calories and low carb diet meant for weight loss.

There are different versions of this diet. The person can take eggs in boiled, poached, or scrambled forms. Other things that the dieter can take is plain water or zero calories beverages. But the diet prohibits intake of oil, butter, starchy carbs like rice, bread, or potatoes, and sweets or sugary food items.

The three versions of this diet

Extreme egg diet

In this diet, the daily diet is only eggs and water. It is highly restrictive diet and difficult to follow. The diet is not balanced and can be boring to adhere to. It might soon lead to other nutritional deficiencies. Because eggs though nutritious do not contain all the nutrients that the human body needs.

Traditional egg diet

It is a high protein diet. But along with eggs, other sources of protein and foods such as lean protein, low carb vegetables and fruits are allowed. But the dieter cannot consume high carb content foods such as rice, pasta, bread and white potatoes. An example of a daily diet is here:

In Breakfast, 2 eggs in any form and a low carb vegetable.

In Lunch, Lean protein along with a green salad.

And in Dinner, either eggs or lean protein source with low carb vegetables.

Egg and grapefruit diet

This is like the traditional diet above. The difference is that the dieter can add half a grapefruit with each meal. An example of this diet is here:

In Breakfast, 2 eggs cooked in any way with half a grapefruit. Vegetables are an additional option.

In Lunch, one serving of lean protein source with spinach and also half a grapefruit.

In Dinner, one serving of lean protein source (fish or eggs) with half a grapefruit and vegetables.

Efficacy and safety

There is no research backing this diet. Eggs have high protein and make one feel full and satiated. Also, they have relatively less calories. Carbs restrictions means less calories. Hence the daily calories are less, calories deficit results and there occurs weight loss.

A 2015 analysis into high protein diet did show that it can assist in the prevention of type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, etc.
And it does lead to weight loss.

Eggs also contain iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, selenium, folate, choline, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and other antioxidants. A 2018 study showed that three eggs per day for 12 weeks helped people with excessive weight to lose it. Their lean body mass was maintained. But the authors did not approve of just eggs for proteins.

But this diet is highly restrictive and hard to adhere to. It might lead to other nutritional deficiencies. It is likely to raise blood cholesterol. But this concept has remained controversial. The outcomes of studies in this aspect have given variable results.

Read here: Eggs and good egg combinations!

Eggs lack dietary fiber. Therefore, they can lead to digestive problems and constipation. And after stopping the diet, weight lost might recur. Dietitians do not recommend this diet for weight loss and it is not a healthy eating pattern.