Egg nutrition offers valuable vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for the body’s normal functioning. Useful in a wide array of different recipes, the nutritional and health benefits offered by eggs can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. As an economical food source that is commonly available year round, nearly everyone on the planet can benefit from egg nutrition.
Nutritional Benefits
Most are familiar with the protein offered by egg nutrition. However, eggs offer a healthy source of other key vitamins and essential minerals, including:
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B5
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Calcium
- Zinc
- Selenium
- Molybdenum
- Docosahexaenoic acid
- Iodine
- Phosphorus
- Alanine
- Amino acids
- Lysine
- Biotin
- Pyridoxine
- Chromium
- Lecithin
- Iron
- Riboflavin
- Pantothenic acid
Egg nutrition also provides an added source for choline, which is the most recently discovered member of the B family of vitamins. Choline is helpful in preserving memory and it helps in maintaining the integrity of healthy cells. Unfortunately, it is estimated that as many as 90 percent of Americans are deficient in this important vitamin. When bodies are deficient in choline, there is also an increased risk for developing other B vitamin deficiencies.
Health Benefits
Because of the high choline content in egg nutrition, it is useful in reducing inflammation throughout the body. Other notable health benefits of egg nutrition include:
- Helps with weight loss
- Improving cholesterol levels
- Assists with healthy heart functioning
- Helps prevent dangerous blood clotting
- Provides protection against the development of cataracts
- Provides increased protection against macular degeneration due to natural aging
- Helps ease diarrhea
- Helps with healthy brain functioning
Precaution
Those with food allergies are cautioned against using egg nutrition before consulting a health professional. Also, many foods recommended for natural cures and home remedies, such as yogurt, may contain eggs and should be avoided if allergic reactions are common.
Some studies have indicated that diabetics who consume at least one egg per day are at an increased risk of developing heart disease.
Eggs are high in cholesterol. However, by avoiding other high cholesterol foods, saturated fats and trans fats, which do not offer the same health benefits that egg nutrition does, in moderation, eggs can and should still be enjoyed by healthy adults. However, for those who are already experiencing high cholesterol levels, it is recommended that eating only the whites, while eliminating the yolk, can still provide adequate egg nutrition without risk of increased cholesterol.
Egg nutrition is intended to utilize only cooked eggs as, in raw form, harmful salmonella bacteria may be present, which can result in serious health issues. Cooking utensils that come in contact with raw eggs should also be washed in hot soapy water, preferably separate from other non-contaminated utensils, in order to avoid the spread of bacterial infection.
With only 68 calories contained in each egg, nutrition and protein can be enjoyed without concern of weight gain. The benefits offered by egg nutrition make it an excellent source of key vitamins and minerals, which are desperately needed to help the body perform at its best. With most people being choline deficient, egg nutrition is highly recommended as a natural source of this essential vitamin.
