Eggs in breakfast makes you kind and charitable

How much can diet affect behavior. A research says that starting the day with a three egg omelette could make people more charitable.

What is known so far is that eggs are a great source of protein and essential amino acids and also provide us with every vitamin we need, except vitamin C.

Now, researchers at the Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition in The Netherlands have demonstrated that a compound found in eggs actually acts on brain chemicals, including serotonin, and makes people donate twice as much to charity.

The compound is tryptophan, an essential amino acid, and high levels of it are found in eggs, fish and milk.

Tryptophan plays a key role in the production of serotonin, a brain chemical which is involved in mood and behaviour, including cooperation and friendliness. On the other hand, low levels of tryptophan are associated with social isolation and aggression.

‘For the first time, we investigated whether the administration of a compound contained in food such as fish, eggs, soy and milk, can promote charitable donating,’ said the Dutch research team. ‘Our study is the first demonstration that charitable donating can be enhanced by serotonin-related food supplements.’

Although how tryptophan has such an effect is not clear, but one theory is that oxytocin, the so-called cuddle hormone, is involved.

The researchers point to the closeness of the areas of the brain linked to serotonin and oxytocin. ‘It may be likely that the willingness to donate money to a charity is modulated by the effect that serotonin exerts on oxytocin levels,’ said the researchers.

If you want someone to donate generously for your cause call them for a three-egg omelette breakfast.