Oral Egg-Derived Protein and Peptide Supplementation for Health Outcomes in Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and Aims: Egg-derived proteins and peptides have been investigated for various health outcomes, yet no comprehensive meta-analysis has synthesized this evidence to guide clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of oral egg-derived protein and peptide supplementation on health outcomes, including serum albumin and phosphorus in dialysis patients, and visceral fat area, blood pressure, muscle protein synthesis, and cognitive function in adults.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched through January 2026 for RCTs. Random-effect meta-analyses, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias assessments were performed. Risk of bias was evaluated using the RoB 2 tool. Evidence certainty was evaluated using GRADE.

Results

Thirty RCTs (n = 1938) were included. In dialysis patients, egg white supplementation significantly increased serum albumin (MD: +0.42 g/dL [95% CI: 0.12-0.72]; I2 = 82.4%; four RCTs; GRADE: very low) and decreased serum phosphorus (MD: -2.04 mg/dL [-2.50, -1.58]; I2 = 22%; two RCTs; GRADE: low). Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis showed consistency. Lactic-fermented egg white peptide reduced the visceral fat area (MD: -11.6 cm2 [-18.5, -4.8]; two RCTs; GRADE: very low). NWT-03 egg protein hydrolysate showed no significant effect on blood pressure (MD: +0.5 mmHg [-1.8, +2.7]; two RCTs). Publication bias was not detected.

Conclusions

Egg-derived protein supplementation provides clinical benefits in dialysis patients with hypoalbuminemia, but evidence is lacking supporting its routine use in healthy adults or other clinical populations.