Eggs have been in the news a lot — again. It seems like every few years, questions arise about these meals in a shell. Are they good or bad for you? What about their protein and cholesterol?
Eating eggs can provide a hefty nutritional punch that is difficult to match. The highest biological value (or gold standard) for protein is found in eggs, along with milk, according to Kathleen M. Zelman, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition for WebMD.
One egg only provides 75 calories, but it also contains iron, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 grams of fat, and 1.6 grams of saturated fat. Eggs are also “simple to consume, well tolerated by young and old, adaptable to any meal, and inexpensive,” the expert continued.
Although eggs are considered a superfood, is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? Kind of.
Although eating between one and three eggs per day is thought to be completely safe, Medical News Today notes that “there is not a precise quantity of eggs a person can eat as part of a healthy diet.”
In fact, eating eggs every day may benefit the body in several ways. Experts claim that eating eggs daily causes the following effects on the body.
Eating eggs every day keeps the doctor away
According to Medical News Today, eggs are a great source of vitamins and minerals, which is helpful for the immune system.
Particularly, it has been discovered that vitamins A and B-12 strengthen the immune system.
Vitamin D, which can both prevent you from becoming sick and speed up your recovery if you do, is another important component of egg yolk.
Eggs are arguably the simplest and quickest item to prepare when you’re fighting off a cold or the flu and lack energy, according to an article by registered dietitian nutritionist Frances Largeman-Roth for NBC Today.
Also, eating eggs can help you get two essential elements for immunological health: selenium and zinc, which, in the words of Largeman-Roth, “keeps your immune system functioning.”
According to Medical News Today, selenium is “an essential trace mineral that is crucial for numerous biological processes, including cognitive function, a strong immune system, and fertility in both men and women.” Selenium also has a role in reproductive health for both sexes.
You may get a boost in brain health if you eat eggs often
The vitamins in eggs aren’t just important for strengthening the immune system — they’re also essential for brain health. According to Healthline, an egg contains not one, not two, not three, but four nutrients that are known to boost brain health: vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, and choline.
B12 is “involved in synthesizing brain chemicals and regulating sugar levels in the brain” and B vitamins have been found to “slow the progression of mental decline in the elderly,” the publication cited.
Folate is another essential nutrient because deficiencies in this vitamin have been linked to dementia in aged individuals and depression in persons with depression (note: these are depression systems you need to know about).
The body needs choline as a vital vitamin to make acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that aids in mood and memory regulation.
Many people don’t actually consume enough choline, despite the important role it plays in maintaining brain function.
Yet, the article claims that egg yolks are “among the most concentrated sources of this vitamin.” One egg typically provides 26% of the daily required choline intake for women. Start consuming eggs now!
Your inflammation levels may lower when you eat eggs every day
Consuming an anti-inflammatory diet can be beneficial if you struggle with chronic inflammation.
According to Very Well Health, eating a diet high in vegetables, seafood, seeds, nuts, fruits, and healthy oils might not only lessen inflammation-related symptoms but also lower the risk of contracting diseases linked to inflammation.
Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant-rich foods are particularly beneficial for decreasing inflammation.
Despite the fact that eggs aren’t typically thought of as an antioxidant-rich food, a 2011 study found that they do in fact have “antioxidant qualities.”
Although though they lose around half of these qualities when eggs are cooked, they still have sufficient value. It’s a significant decrease, but Jianping Wu, one of the study’s authors and a professor at the Canadian University of Alberta’s department of agricultural food and nutritional science, told ScienceDaily that it still leaves eggs with an antioxidant value that is on par with apples.
Eating eggs is a smart choice for individuals on an anti-inflammatory diet due to their omega-3 fortification and antioxidant capabilities.
Eating eggs every day won’t increase your risk of having a heart attack
It was long believed that eating eggs, especially the yolks, would increase levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Many people choose to steer clear of foods that contain cholesterol because it can increase your risk of heart disease.
For other people, this meant avoiding eggs altogether or choosing egg whites only and bypassing the yolks.
Yet according to a letter from Anthony Komaroff, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, “most of the cholesterol in our body is generated by our liver – it doesn’t originate from cholesterol we eat.”
According to him, trans fat and saturated fat in our diets—not dietary cholesterol—are what essentially drive the liver to produce cholesterol. Even though a large egg typically includes 1.5 grams of saturated fat, studies have shown that moderate egg consumption does not raise the risk of developing heart disease and may even be protective.
However, you should be careful about what you eat in addition to your eggs. As an example, Komaroff stated that “the saturated fat in butter, cheese, bacon, sausage, muffins or scones boosts your blood cholesterol far more than the cholesterol in your egg.”
Your good cholesterol will likely raise if you eat eggs most days
A greater amount of HDL (also known as “good”) cholesterol is, well, a good thing, whereas having high levels of LDL (also known as “bad”) cholesterol can cause cardiovascular issues. The Mayo Clinic states that HDL “picks up extra cholesterol in your blood and returns it to your liver where it is metabolized and eliminated from your body.”
The ideal level for excellent cholesterol in both men and women is 60 milligrams per deciliter. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, such as regular exercise, giving up smoking, and consuming foods that have been shown to increase HDL cholesterol levels.
Many studies have shown that eating eggs will actually increase your good cholesterol while having little to no effect, if any, on your bad cholesterol levels, despite the old wives’ tale that eggs are hazardous for the body due of their high cholesterol content.
Eating eggs can help make your skin healthier
Salmonella contamination makes egg white masks unsafe, which is unfortunate for those of you who enjoy the way your skin feels after this at-home facial.
But the good news is that consuming cooked eggs can potentially be even better for your skin.
According to Medical News, “vitamins and minerals in eggs assist support good skin and prevent the degradation of human tissues.” Nutritionist Jo Lewin said in an article for BBC Good Food that “a selenium-rich diet can help to protect against skin cancer, UV damage, and age spots” by citing numerous studies.
Fortunately, two large eggs provide 56% of the daily necessary amount of selenium.
According to Medical News, selenium strengthens the immune system and “a strong immune system also helps a person look and feel better.” Of course, that doesn’t mean your whole diet should be made up of eggs.
The article stated that eating eggs as part of a balanced diet is the best way to get their health benefits.
Eating eggs every day will keep you feeling fuller longer
You might choose a bagel for breakfast rather than scrambled eggs because you believe it will make you feel satiated longer. But according to science, this is untrue. No, I mean it. These two breakfasts were compared by scientists, and one emerged as the clear winner.
Participants who were labeled as “overweight” or “obese” in a study done by the psychology department at Saint Louis University in Missouri fasted overnight.
The patient then consumed lunch “three and a half hours later, in random order, two weeks apart, either a [equal-weight] egg-based breakfast or bagel-based breakfast.”
The researchers ultimately discovered that eating eggs for breakfast “increased satiety and dramatically decreased daily calorie intake.
“Indeed, the wonderful egg is more filling than the bagel. How? According to Julie Kaye, a registered dietitian in New York City, “eggs have a wonderful blend of protein and fat, so they’re more gratifying than other breakfast items.”
If you eat eggs every day, you may lose weight
Eggs were discovered to decrease “short-term food consumption,” according to a study by the psychology department at Saint Louis University.
Eggs are more satiating due to the fantastic protein and fat combination, which in turn lessens the desire to keep eating. Less food consumed also results in weight loss.
Researchers found that eating eggs over bagels over an eight-week period resulted in a 16 percent greater reduction in body fat percentage, a 34 percent greater reduction in waist size, a 61 percent greater reduction in body mass index (BMI), and a 65 percent greater reduction in overall weight loss.
After all, you can never have too many eggs, right? The findings were unambiguous: Eating it promotes weight loss.
Strengthen your nails and hair by eating eggs
You might be shocked to learn that eating it, notably the yolks, might actually be a simple way to further improve your biotin intake if you use shampoos and conditioners supplemented with the vitamin.
According to Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, “Biotin, a B-complex vitamin, may play a role in the production of keratin.” He explained: “It’s assumed that nutrients that aid one can also help the other because both hair and nails are created of keratin, through a similar process in the body.
In addition to iron, they also include protein, zinc, and vitamin B12, as was previously mentioned. You need each of these nutrients for wholesome hair.
According to dermatologist Dendy Engelman, “protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 are essential for healthy hair,” and they also “help maintain hair structure, growth, breakdown of carbs and fats, moisturize the scalp, and transfer oxygen to the cells.” Undoubtedly, this superfood will give you gorgeous hair and nails in no time.
Eating eggs every day can improve your eye health
Dark greens and carrots have a reputation for enhancing vision, but there are other foods that help improve eye health.
We all know that lutein is abundant in leafy green veggies, but eggs are also a wonderful source, according to Erin Dummert, a dietitian and proprietor of Madam Nutrition in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, who spoke with Today’s Dietitian.
“While they are less abundant [than leafy greens], a recent study demonstrates that they are more bioavailable. It follows that, despite the fact that they contain less lutein, it nevertheless enters the bloodstream.”
Eating eggs every day can strengthen your bones and teeth
You may be aware that eating eggs helps build strong bones, but what about drinking milk? According to Heathline, the yolks have a significant amount of vitamin D, which can enhance bone health.
It is real. Because they contain phosphorus, vitamin K, and vitamin D, they are also “surprisingly beneficial for teeth,” according to Jefferson Dental Clinics.
Nevertheless, eggs include additional nutrients that make them a superfood for the teeth. Another benefit is the high protein content.
In a News Medical article, dentist Akshima Sahi stated that proteins are essential for the development and maintenance of tooth structure. They also support a strong immune system and protect the mucosa and connective tissue lining the mouth cavity.
