吃個雞蛋再上班有助保持清醒

Scientists have found that egg proteins, specifically those found in the white, help us stay awake and feel alert.

They are much more effective than carbohydrates found in the chocolates, biscuits and sweets often relied on for a quick energy boost.

Cambridge University researchers looked at how nutrients affect the brain cells that keeping us awake and burning calories.

A mixture similar to the protein content of egg whites activated these cells, triggering the release of the stimulant orexin.

Sugar, however, blocked the release of orexin.

Researcher Dr Denis Burdakov said: "Research suggests that if you have a choice between jam on toast, or egg whites on toast, go for the latter."

"Even though the two may contain the same number of calories, having a bit of protein will tell the body to burn more calories out of those consumed."

The findings were published in the journal Neuron.

The slogan "Go to work on an egg" was used in a 1960s advertising campaign by the Egg Marketing Board.

More recently researchers for the British Nutrition Foundation, part-funded by the poultry industry, concluded that the type of cholesterol found in eggs has minimal effect on raising the risk of heart disease.

Previous research has shown that, contrary to popular perception, it is healthy to go to work on an egg.據英國《每日郵報》11月17日報道，科學家發現，雞蛋中特別是蛋清中所含的蛋白質能夠幫助我們保持清醒、感到警覺。

它們比我們平時用來快速提升能量的巧克力、餅乾和甜品中所含的碳水化合物更加有效。

劍橋大學的研究人員觀察了營養物質是如何影響我們的腦細胞以使我們保持清醒和燃燒熱量的。

一種與蛋清中所含的蛋白質相類似的混合物質激活了這些腦細胞，引發了使人興奮的促食素大量釋放。

糖類則會阻礙促食素的釋放。

研究員丹尼斯•布爾達科夫說：“研究建議，如果讓你選擇用果醬或者蛋清塗抹在吐司上，請選後者吧。”

“雖然這兩種食品包含一樣多的熱量，但是蛋清中多的那一點蛋白質能夠促使身體燃燒掉比已消耗的還要更多的熱量。

這一研究成果發表在《神經元》雜誌上。

“吃個雞蛋再上班”的口號是上世紀六十年代英國禽蛋銷售委員會的銷售廣告攻勢中所使用的宣傳語。

最近，由家禽業提供部分資金支持的英國營養基金會研究人員得出結論，他們發現，雞蛋中所含的這種類型的膽固醇對增加心臟病風險的影響最小。

此前的研究已經表明，與一般流行的看法相反，事實上吃個雞蛋再去上班是一種非常健康的方式。