Egg white protein and metabolic syndrome in animals and people
What it found
In rats and lab tests, egg white protein changed fat and cholesterol handling, and in men with mildly high cholesterol, a fermented egg white drink for 8 weeks lowered total and LDL cholesterol.
A 12-week drink also cut belly fat in people.
What they found
Studies in people
Cholesterol in men
Men with mildly high cholesterol who drank fermented egg white daily for 8 weeks had lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
Belly fat in people
After drinking fermented egg white daily for 12 weeks, people had a smaller visceral fat area and a better ratio of visceral to subcutaneous fat.
Animal and lab studies
Fat transport in rats
In rats with a tube in their lymph duct, egg white protein in the diet decreased the amount of fat moving through the lymph, compared with casein.
Cholesterol in lab tests
In lab tests, digested egg white protein lowered how much cholesterol could dissolve in micelles and how fast it moved into oil, and it held more water and was thicker than digested casein.
Body fat in rats
Rats fed egg white protein had less body fat, more body protein, and faster fat burning in the liver.
What the authors conclude
“Taken together, these results indicated that dietary EWP and LE would be useful for preventing or alleviating metabolic syndrome.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that dietary egg white protein and fermented egg white "would be useful for preventing or alleviating metabolic syndrome".
How it was done
Abdominal fat buildup causes metabolic syndrome, a group of problems like high cholesterol, poor blood sugar control and high blood pressure that can lead to diabetes and heart disease. The authors say the quality of protein in the diet may affect the risk of this syndrome.
They fed egg white protein or a fermented egg white form to rats and tested it in lab dishes. They also gave people a daily fermented egg white drink for 8 weeks or 12 weeks.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The animal and lab results may not be the same in people.
- The human studies were small and only in men with mildly high cholesterol or belly fat, so the findings may not apply to everyone.
- The abstract does not say whether the human studies were randomised or controlled, so it is unclear if the effects are due to the egg white alone.
The paper
- Title
- Alleviation of Metabolic Syndrome with Dietary Egg White Protein
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Shirouchi B, Matsuoka R (2019). Alleviation of Metabolic Syndrome with Dietary Egg White Protein. Journal of oleo science. doi:10.5650/jos.ess19084PubMed 31168041DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error