Health Benefits of Eggs are really impressive! They are pretty much the ideal food; they have a little bit of almost every single nutrient we need.
Eggs have always had a primary place in cultural practices, religions, and mythologies worldwide, and have usually been regarded as symbols of fertility, beginnings, renewal, and rebirth.
One of the most commonly held food and holiday connotations is that of the Easter egg. And how the egg became related with this holiday seems to have roots that are both cultural and biological.
Eggs have long been acknowledged as an incredible source of high-quality protein. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) and many other health authorities use egg as their reference standard for calculating the protein quality in all other foods 1 .
The protein from the egg is typically referred to as “HBV” protein, which means: a protein with High Biological Value. Because of the fact that egg is used as the reference standard for food protein – it scores 100% on the HBV chart 2 .
Eggs have high mineral content that also deserves to be mentioned – not because this food is a rich source of most minerals but because it is a rich source of some minerals which can sometimes be really difficult to get from other foods.
Eggs Nutrition
Eggs are one of the most nutritious food on the planet. Eggs nutrition benefits our overall health. A whole egg has all the nutrients needed to turn a single cell into a baby chicken.
1 large boiled egg contains 3 :
- Folate:5 percent of the RDA
- Vitamin A:6 percent of the RDA
- Vitamin B2:15 percent of the RDA
- Vitamin B5:7 percent of the RDA
- Vitamin B12:9 percent of the RDA
- Selenium:22 percent of the RDA
- Phosphorus:9 percent of the RDA
Eggs also contain good amounts of Vitamin E, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, Zinc, Vitamin K, and Calcium.
This is coming with 77 calories (5 grams of healthy fats and 6 grams of protein). Eggs also contain numerous other trace nutrients, which are crucial for well-being.
Pastured or Omega-3 enriched organic eggs are even better. They are much higher in Vitamin A and E and contain more Omega-3s.
Facts About Egg Production 4
- Today, the production of eggs in the U.S. has reached a level of about 762 billion eggs a year. Approximately 70% of these eggs are sold and bought in the whole form, and around 30% are converted into egg products, including both dried and liquid yolks and whites.
- California, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Iowa are the country’s top 5 egg-producing states.
- Globally, the U.S. is the greatest egg-producing country in the world, followed by Brazil and Mexico.
- Nevertheless, little numbers of eggs are manufactured in almost every other country in the world, and out of the total egg production in the world (around 63.7 million tons of hen’s eggs), just 20% (about 12.8 million tons) are produced in all Central American, South American, and North American countries combined.
Health Benefits of Eggs
The nutrients found in eggs are distributed fairly evenly between the whites and the yolks. This nutrients’ distribution is a general characteristic of whole, natural foods and it’s one of the reasons that we advise consumption of whole eggs (apart from, of course, when only the white or the yolk is called for in a recipe).
Here are some of the most impressive eggs health benefits:
- Eggs are high in cholesterol, however, eating eggs doesn’t have adverse effects on cholesterol in the blood
It’s true that this food is high in cholesterol. Actually, one egg contains around 212 mg, which is over 50% of the recommended daily dose of 300 mg.
Though… it is important to keep in mind that cholesterol in the diet does not necessarily increase cholesterol in the blood.
In fact, the liver produces great amounts of cholesterol each day. When we consume more eggs, the liver simply produces less cholesterol instead – therefore, it evens out.
The response to consumption of eggs varies between individual:
- The egg doesn’t increase cholesterol at all in 70% of people.
- Eggs can mildly increase LDL and Total cholesterol in the other 30% (called “hyper-responders”).
Yet, as I will outline later in this article, the thing is a little bit more complicated than that and these fluctuations are actually beneficial.
Note: Individuals with a gene type is known as ApoE4 or genetic disorders as familial hypercholesterolemia may want to avoid or simply minimize eggs.
- Eggs Increase HDL (the “good”) Cholesterol
HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) it’s often called the “good” cholesterol. Individuals with higher levels of HDL typically have a lower risk of stroke, heart disease, and numerous health problems.
Consuming eggs is a perfect way to increase HDL. In one research, 2 eggs a day for 6 weeks raised HDL levels by 10 percent 5 6 .
- Eggs Have Choline – a Significant Nutrient Which Most Individuals Don’t Get Enough of
A nutrient that many people don’t even know exists, called choline, is a really significant substance and is usually grouped with the B vitamins. Whole eggs are an abundant source of choline. One egg has more than 100 mg of this important nutrient.
This nutrient is used to build cell membranes. It has an important role in the production of signaling molecules in the brain, together with numerous other functions.
Many dietary surveys have proven that around 90% of persons in the U.S. are getting less than the recommended dose of choline.
- Eggs are Linked to a Reduced Risk of Heart Disease
It’s well known that having high levels of “bad” (or LDL) cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
There are large LDL particles and there are small and dense LDL particles. But, what many persons don’t realize is that there are subtypes of “bad” cholesterol that have to do with the size of the particles.
Numerous studies have proven that individuals who have principally small and dense LDL particles have a greater risk of heart disease than those who have predominantly large LDL particles.
Even if eggs have a tendency to slightly raise LDL cholesterol in some individuals, research show that the particles change from small and dense to large LDL – that is actually a good thing.
- Eggs Contain Zeaxanthin and Lutein – Antioxidants That Have Great Benefits for Eye Health
Eyesight has a tendency to get worse as we grow older. There are certain nutrients that help counteract the degenerative processes, which can affect the eyes.
Zeaxanthin and lutein are two powerful antioxidants, which have a tendency to build up in the retina of the eye.
The research found that consuming adequate quantities of these nutrients could significantly reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, 2 common eye disorders 7 .
Egg yolks actually contain great amounts of both Zeaxanthin and Lutein. They are also high in Vitamin A that deserves another mention in this contexts because Vitamin A deficiency is one of the most common causes of blindness in the world.
- Pastured or Omega-3 Eggs Can Lower Triglycerides
It doesn’t just matter what we eat – it also matters what the foods that we consume.
Incidentally, not all eggs are made equal. The nutrient composition of eggs varies depending on how the hens were raised and fed.
Therefore, eggs from hens that are raised up on pasture or/and fed Omega-3 supplemented feeds are much higher in Omega-3 fatty acids.
These fatty acids are well-known to reduce blood levels of triglycerides, which is the most common risk factor for heart disease.
The research found that consuming Omega-3 enriched eggs is one of the most effective ways to reduce triglycerides 8 . In one of the research, just 5 omega-3 enriched eggs a week for three weeks reduced triglycerides by 16 to 18 percent 9 .
- Eggs are High in Quality Protein and Essential Amino Acids
Proteins are the central building blocks of our bodies. They’re used to make all kinds of molecules and tissues that serve both functional and structural purposes.
To get adequate amounts of protein in your diet is truly important and various studies show that currently recommended quantities might be too low.
Eggs are an amazing source of protein – a single large egg contains 6 grams. Moreover, eggs contain all the vital amino acids in the right ratios, thus, our bodies are well armed to make full use of the proteins in them.
Consuming adequate protein can increase muscle mass, help with weight loss, optimize bone health, and lower blood pressure – just to name a few.
- Eggs Can Reduce the Risk of Stroke
Eggs have been falsely demonized for many decades. Many people thought that because of the cholesterol in them, they are bad for the heart.
However, many researches published in the latest years have studied the relationship between consumption of eggs and the risk of cardiovascular disease 10 .
In a review of 17 studies with 263,938 participants, no connection was found between consumption of eggs and stroke or heart disease 11 . Various other research has led to the same conclusion.
But, some researchers have found that individuals with diabetes who consume eggs have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease 12 . On a low-carb diet, that is by far the ideal diet for diabetics, consuming eggs lead to improvements in risk factor for heart disease.
- Eggs Can Help You Los Weight
Eggs are exceptionally fulfilling. This high protein food scores high on a scale known as Satiety Index that measures the abilities of food to induce feelings of fullness and decrease subsequent calorie intake.
In a research of 30 overweight women, consuming eggs for breakfast, instead of bagels, increased feelings of fullness. Plus, made them automatically consume fewer calories for the next 36 hours 13 .
Furthermore, in another research, eating eggs for breakfast, instead of bagels, caused major weight loss in a period of eight weeks 14 .
Conclusion:
The evidence clearly shows that eating around 3 eggs a day is perfectly safe. There is no result that going beyond that is unsafe, it’s just “uncharted territory” because it has not been studied. The egg is pretty much nature’s ideal food. They are the perfect source of protein and other essential nutrients which make eggs nutrition unique!
On top of everything else, eggs are also easy to prepare, they go with many foods and tastes, and they are also cheap – so, you can afford them.
