Top 10 Health Benefits of Eating Eggs
Writtenby KrisGunnars, BSc on October 16, 2016
Eggsare amongthe few foods that I wouldclassify as "superfoods."
They are loadedwith nutrients, some of whichare rarein the modern diet.
Hereare 10 health benefits of eggsthat havebeen confirmed in humanstudies.
Eggsare amongthe most nutritious foods on the planet.
A wholeegg contains allthe nutrientsrequired to turna singlecell intoa baby chicken.
A singlelarge boiled egg contains ( 1 ):
Vitamin A:6% of the RDA
Folate: 5% of the RDA
Vitamin B5: 7% of the RDA
Vitamin B12: 9% of the RDA
Vitamin B2: 15% of the RDA
Phosphorus: 9% of the RDA
Selenium: 22% of the RDA
Eggs also contain decent amounts of VitaminD, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium and Zinc
This is coming with77 calories, 6 grams of protein and5 grams of healthy fats .
Eggsalso contain various other trace nutrients that are important for health.
Really... eggs are pretty much the perfect food, they contain alittle bit of almost every nutrientwe need.
If you can get your hands on pasturedor Omega-3 enriched eggs, thenthese are even better . They have more Omega-3s and are much higherin VitaminA and E( 2 , 3 ).
BOTTOM LINE:
Whole eggs are among the mostnutritious foods on the planet, containing alittle bit of almost everynutrient we need. Omega-3 enriched and/or pastured eggs are even healthier.
Itis true that eggs are high in cholesterol.
In fact, a single eggcontains 212mg, which is overhalf of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg.
However... it's important to keep in mind that cholesterol in the diet doesn't necessarily raise cholesterol in the blood ( 4 , 5 ).
The liver actually produces large amounts of cholesterol everysingleday. When we eat more eggs, the liverjust produces lesscholesterol instead,so itevens out ( 6 , 7 ).
The response to egg consumptionvaries between individual( 8 ):
In 70% of people, eggs don't raise cholesterol at all
In the other 30% (termed "hyper responders"), eggs can mildly raise Totaland LDL cholesterol
However, as Iwill outline later in the article, the situation is abit morecomplicated than that and thesechanges are actuallybeneficial.
( Exceptions... peoplewith genetic disorders likefamilial hypercholesterolemiaor agene type called ApoE4 maywant to minimize or avoid eggs. ).
BOTTOM LINE:
Eggs are high in cholesterol, but eating eggs does not have adverse effects on cholesterol in the blood for the majorityof people.
HDLstands for High Density Lipoprotein. Itis often known as the "good" cholesterol( 9 ).
People whohave higher levels of HDL usuallyhave a lower risk of heart disease, stroke andvarioushealth problems ( 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ).
Eating eggs is a greatway to increase HDL.
In one study, 2 eggs perday for6 weeks increasedHDL levels by 10% ( 14 ,15 , 16 ).
BOTTOM LINE:
Egg consumption consistently leads to elevated levels of HDL (the "good") cholesterol, which is linked to a reduced risk of many diseases.
Choline is anutrient that most peopledon't even know exists.
Yet, it is an incredibly important substance andis often grouped withthe B vitamins.
Choline is usedto build cell membranes andhas a rolein producingsignalling molecules in the brain, along with variousother functions( 17 ).
Dietary surveys haveshown that about 90% of people in the U.S. are getting lessthan the recommended amountof choline ( 18 ).
Wholeeggs are an excellent source of choline. A singleegg contains more than100 mg of this very important nutrient.
BOTTOM LINE:
Eggs are amongthe best dietary sourcesof choline, a nutrient that is incredibly important but mostpeople aren’t getting enough of.
LDLcholesterol is generally known as the "bad" cholesterol.
Itis well known that having high levels of LDLis linked to an increasedrisk of heart disease( 19 ,20 ).
But whatmany people don't realize is that thereare subtypes of LDL that have to do with the size of the particles.
Thereare small, dense LDL particles and thenthere are large LDLparticles.
Many studies haveshown that peoplewho have predominantly small, dense LDLparticles havea higher risk of heart disease than peoplewho have mostlylarge LDLparticles ( 21 , 22 , 23 ).
Evenif eggs tendto mildly raise LDLcholesterol in some people, studies show that the particles change fromsmall, dense to large LDL... whichis agood thing ( 24 , 25 ).
BOTTOM LINE:
Egg consumption appears tochange the pattern of LDLparticles from small, dense LDL (bad) to large LDL, which is linked to a reduced heart disease risk.
One of the consequences of aging is that eyesighttends to get worse.
Thereare severalnutrients that help counteract some of the degenerative processes that can affect oureyes.
Two of these are called Lutein andZeaxanthin, powerful antioxidants that tend to build up in the retina of the eye ( 26 , 27 ).
Studiesshow that consuming adequate amounts of these nutrientscan significantly reducethe risk of cataracts andmaculardegeneration, two very common eye disorders( 28 , 29 , 30 ).
Eggyolks actually contain large amounts of bothLutein andZeaxanthin.
In one controlledtrial, eating just 1.3 egg yolks per day for 4.5 weeks increased blood levels of Luteinby 28-50% andZeaxanthin by 114-142% ( 31 ).
Eggsare also high in Vitamin A, whichdeserves another mentionhere. Vitamin A deficiency is the most common causeof blindnessin the world ( 32 ).
BOTTOM LINE:
The antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin are very important foreye health and can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. Eggs are high in bothof them.
Of course, it doesn't just matter whatwe eat... it also matters what the foods that we eat, ate.
In this regard, not all eggsare createdequal. Their nutrient composition varies depending on how the hens were fed and raised.
Eggsfrom hens that are raisedon pasture and/or fed Omega-3 enriched feeds tend tobe much higherin Omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduceblood levels of triglycerides, a well known risk factor forheart disease ( 33 , 34 ).
Studiesshow that consuming Omega-3 enriched eggs is a very effectiveway to reduce triglycerides in the blood. In oneof the studies, just 5 omega-3 enriched eggs per weekfor 3 weeks reduced triglycerides by 16-18% ( 35 , 36 ).
BOTTOM LINE:
Omega-3 enriched and pastured eggs contain significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids. Eating these types of eggs is an effectiveway to reduce blood triglycerides.
Proteins are the main building blocks of the humanbody.
They're used to make allsorts of tissues andmolecules that serveboth structural and functional purposes.
Getting enough protein in the dietis very important and studies show that currently recommended amountsmay be too low.
Well... eggsare an excellent source of protein, with a singlelarge egg containing 6 grams.
Eggscontain all the essential aminoacids in the right ratios, so our bodiesare well equippedto make full useof the protein in them.
Eating adequate protein can help withweight loss , increase musclemass, lower blood pressure and optimizebone health... to name a few ( 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ).
BOTTOM LINE:
Eggs are fairly high in quality animal protein and contain allthe essential amino acids that humans need.
For many decades, eggs have been unfairly demonized.
Ithasbeen claimed that because of the cholesterol in them, they must be bad for the heart.
Many studies publishedin recent years haveexamined the relationship between egg consumptionandthe risk of heart disease.
In one review of 17 studies witha totalof 263,938 participants, no association wasfoundbetween egg consumptionandheart diseaseor stroke ( 41 ).
Many other studies haveled tothe same conclusion( 42 , 43 ).
However... some studies have foundthat people with diabetes whoeat eggs have an increasedrisk of heart disease( 44 ).
Whether the eggs are actually causing the increasedrisk isn't known, because these types of studies can only show statistical association. They can not provethat eggs causedanything.
Itis possible that diabetics whoeat eggs are lesshealth conscious, on average.
On alow-carb diet ,which is by farthe best dietfor diabetics, eating eggs leads to improvements in risk factors forheart disease ( 45 , 46 ).
BOTTOM LINE:
Many studies have looked at egg consumption andthe risk of heart disease and found no association. However, some studies have foundan increased risk in people with type 2 diabetes.
Eggsare incrediblyfulfilling.
They are a high protein food... but protein is by farthe most fulfilling macronutrient( 47 ).
Eggsscore high on a scale calledthe Satiety Index ,which measures the ability of foods toinduce feelings of fullness andreduce subsequentcalorie intake( 48 ).
In one study of 30 overweight women, eating eggs instead of bagelsfor breakfastincreased feelings of fullness andmade themautomatically eat fewer calories for the next 36 hours ( 49 ).
In another study, replacing a bagel breakfast withan egg breakfastcaused significant weight loss overa period of 8 weeks ( 50 ).
The studies clearly show that eating up to 3 wholeeggs per day is perfectly safe.
Thereis no evidence that going beyond that is harmful, itis just "uncharted territory" as ithasn't been studied.
Ipersonally eat about 3-6 wholeeggs perday andmy health hasnever been better.
Really... eggs are pretty much nature's perfect food.
On top of everything else, they are alsocheap, easy to prepare, go with almost any food and taste awesome.
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