Top 10 Health Benefits of Eating Eggs that have been confirmed in human studies
Eggs are one of the few foods that it should be classified as “superfoods.”
They are loaded with various nutrients, some of which are rare in the modern diet.
Here are top 10 health benefits of eggs that have been confirmed in human studies.
1. Incredibly Nutritious
Eggs are considered among the most nutritious foods on the planet.
A whole egg contains all the nutrients required.
A single large boiled egg contains :
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 vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B6, calcium and zinc also.
This comes with 77 calories, 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of healthy fats.
In fact, eggs are considered as the perfect food. They contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need for being healthy.
2. Also High in Cholesterol, but Don’t Adversely Affect Blood Cholesterol
It is true that eggs are high in cholesterol too.
In fact, a single egg contains around 212 mg, which is over half of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg.
However, it is important to keep in mind that cholesterol added in the diet doesn’t necessarily raise cholesterol in the blood.
Also the liver actually produces large amounts of cholesterol every single day. When you increase your intake of dietary cholesterol, your liver simply produces less cholesterol to even it out for a balance.
In 70% of the people, eggs don’t raise cholesterol at all.
Rest 30% (termed “hyper responders”), eggs can mildly raise total and LDL cholesterol.
However, some people with genetic disorders like familial hypercholesterolemia or a gene variant called ApoE4 may want to limit or avoid eggs.
3. Raise HDL (The “Good”) Cholesterol
HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. It is often known as the “good” cholesterol.
Those people who have higher levels of HDL usually have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and other health problems.
Eating eggs is also a great way to increase HDL. In one study, eating two eggs per day for six weeks increased HDL levels by around 10%.
4. Contains Choline — an Important Nutrient That Most People Don’t Get Enough Of
Choline is a nutrient that most of the people don’t even know exists, yet it is an incredibly important substance and is often grouped with the B vitamins.
Choline is used to build the cell membranes and has a role in producing signaling molecules in the brain, along with various other functions.
Whole eggs are a good source of choline. A single egg contains about 100 mg of this important nutrient.
5. Are also Linked to a Reduced Risk of Heart Disease
LDL cholesterol which is generally known as the “bad” cholesterol.
It is well known that having high levels of LDL is linked to an increased risk of heart disease in humans.
But many people even don’t realize that LDL is divided into subtypes based on the size of the particles.
There are small, dense and large LDL particles.
Many studies have shown that people who have predominantly small and dense LDL particles have a higher risk of heart disease than those people who have mostly large LDL particles.
Even if eggs tends to mildly raise LDL cholesterol in some people, studies also show that the particles change from small, dense to large LDL, which is an improvement .
6. Eggs Contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin — Antioxidants That Have Major Benefits for Eye Health
One of the consequences of aging is that our eyesight tends to get worse.
There are several nutrients that help to counteract some of the degenerative processes that can affect our eyes.
Two of these are namely lutein and zeaxanthin. They are the powerful antioxidants that accumulate in the retina of the eye.
Research show that consuming adequate amounts of these nutrients can significantly reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, two very common eye disorders.
Egg yolks contains large amounts of both lutein and zeaxanthin.
In one controlled study, eating just 1.5 egg yolks per day for 4 to 5 weeks increased blood levels of lutein by 30–50% and zeaxanthin by 115–145%.
Eggs are also rich in vitamin A, which deserves another mention here. Deficiency of Vitamin A is the most common cause of blindness in the world.
7. Omega-3 or Pastured Eggs Lower Triglycerides
Not all the eggs are created equal. The nutrient composition of eggs varies depending on how the hens were fed and raised.
Eggs from hens that were raised on pasture or fed omega-3 enriched feeds tend to be much higher in omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are also known to reduce blood levels of triglycerides, a well known risk factor for heart disease.
Studies also show that consuming omega-3 enriched eggs is a very effective way to lower blood triglycerides.
In one study, eating just five omega-3 enriched eggs per week for upto three weeks reduced triglycerides by 16–18%.
8. Eggs are High in Quality Protein, With All the Essential Amino Acids in the Right Ratios
Proteins are the most important building blocks of the human body.
They’re also used to make all sorts of tissues and molecules that serve both structural and functional purposes.
Getting enough protein in your diet is very important and studies show that currently recommended amounts may be too low.
Eggs are an excellent source of protein, with a single large egg containing six grams of protein in it.
Eating enough protein can help you with weight loss, increase muscle mass, lower blood pressure and optimize bone health also.
9. Don’t Raise Your Risk of Heart Disease and May Reduce the Risk of Stroke
It has been claimed that because of some amounts of cholesterol in them, they must be bad for the heart.
Many studies published in the last few years have examined the relationship between eating eggs and the risk of heart disease.
However, some studies have also found that people with diabetes who eat eggs have an increased risk of heart disease.
Whether the eggs are actually causing the increased risk isn’t known, because these types of studies can only show the statistical association only . They cannot prove that ,the eggs caused anything.
It is possible for the people that who eat lots of eggs and have diabetes are less health-conscious, on average.
On a low-carb diet, which is by far the best diet for people with diabetes, eating eggs results in improvements of risk factors for heart disease.
Also Read : 5 Tips To Cook Super Healthy Eggs | Good Health Care Tips
10. Eggs Are Filling and Tend to Make You Eat Fewer Calories, Helping You Lose Weight
They are a high-protein food, and you know protein is, by far, the most satiating macro nutrient .
Eggs score high on a scale called the satiety index, which measures the ability of foods to cause feelings of fullness and later it reduces calorie intake.
In one study of around 25 overweight women, eating eggs instead of bagels for breakfast increased feelings of fullness and made them automatically eat fewer calories for the next 36 hours.
In another study, replacing a bagel breakfast with an egg breakfast caused significant weight loss over a period of seven weeks.
CONCLUSION
Studies clearly show that eating up to two to three whole eggs per day is perfectly safe.
There is no evidence of going beyond that is harmful — it is just “uncharted territory,” as it hasn’t been studied.
Eggs are considered as nature’s perfect food.
On top of everything else, they are also cheap, easy to prepare, go with almost any food and it will taste awesome.