Eggs have been part of the human diet for thousands of years. They are a powerhouse of nutrients. Several factors make eggs suitable for everyone. Eggs are an affordable, nutrient dense food with high quality protein. For nutritionally vulnerable (poor, young, pregnant, elderly) group it is one of the best foods.

Composition of eggs

An egg contains about 75 % water. The rest 25 % are the other constituents such as protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Shell is about 10 %, white is about 60 % and yolk about 30 % (1).

Egg can be considered to be a low carbohydrate food or we can say it does not have any carbohydrate because it is lower than 1 %.

Top 10 health benefits of eating eggs

Egg is a very popular food especially for breakfast. Egg can be incorporated into several recipes. Because of its constituent’s egg can provide us with several health benefits.

1. Complete source of protein

Egg is a source of complete and superior quality protein. Egg protein contains all the essential amino acids our body needs. One egg is 50 grams (it can be from 50 to 60 grams or little more depending on the grade of the egg), the protein content is about 7 grams.

Eggs make it easy for us to meet our protein requirement.

2. Easily digestible

Eggs are easily digestible and very easy to prepare also. Cooking of eggs increases the digestibility of protein and in case the egg contains any pathogens boiling makes it safe (2).

3. Low carbohydrate food

Egg is a low carbohydrate food as its carbohydrate content is negligible. They can be used by people who want low carb foods or want to lose weight. Most weight loss diets are formulated to have low carbs and egg can be easily used in those diets.

4. Satiety value

Both protein and fat have higher satiety value than carbohydrate. Eggs have good amount of these two macronutrients therefore when a person consumes eggs, they feel full and do not feel like eating the next meal till some time.

5. Calorific value

Egg is a good source of energy. 100 grams of egg gives about 143 kcals. Since egg’s major constituent is water, the calorific value is quite good. The calories in egg come from the macronutrients, fat and protein (3).

Egg is a good source of energy while providing essential nutrients.

6. Antioxidant

Egg contains proteins such as ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, phosvitin and lipids such as phospholipids, and micronutrients like vitamin E, vitamin A, selenium, and carotenoids. All these constituents exhibit antioxidant properties.

By feeding specific type of feed eggs antioxidant value can be increased by increasing carotenoids, vitamin E, selenium and iodine content of eggs. It is thought that home cooking reduces the antioxidant activity of egg but during digestion of cooked eggs the antioxidant value of egg increases because of the release of amino acids and peptides (4). Eggs provide antioxidants when included in the diet.

7. Micronutrient dense

Egg is a good source of all fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. All these fat-soluble vitamins are present in the yolk of the egg.

Egg is also a good source of most of the water-soluble B vitamins. Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folate and B ₁₂ are all present in egg. It is a rich source of choline. For vegetarians who eat egg it is one of the few vitamin B ₁₂ sources.  Egg contains minerals such as calcium, iron and phosphorous. It is a good source of sodium, potassium and selenium.

8. Vitamin D

Though our skin has the capability of making vitamin D the number of people with vitamin D deficiency, even in people who are living in regions where they get plenty of sun is increasing. Egg is a good source of vitamin D.

9. 9. Choline

Choline is a water soluble B vitamin and is a component of acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter of great importance to memory, mood, muscle control, and other brain and nervous system functions (5)

Egg is a good source of choline 100 grams of egg provides 293 mg of choline (3).

10. Versatile food

Eggs can be consumed in various forms. It is the most popular form of breakfast. They can be made into an omelette, scrambled eggs and boiled eggs They can be included in baked food to increase the protein value of the foods. They can be added in desserts such as puddings and other baked desserts.

Eggs can be easily incorporated into our diets. And if someone wants only the protein part it can be easily separated into white and yolk, though eating a whole egg is better because of all the micronutrients present in the yolk.

Final word

Eggs are a nutritious food. They are a rich source of complete, good quality protein and also supply several minerals and vitamins in a reasonable amount. But remember moderation and variety are important in a balanced diet.

Four to five eggs in a week should be good enough. But if your cholesterol levels are high or you have any issues with heart talk to your doctor and decide on how many eggs to eat.

Why not get nutrients from other sources too.

References

1. Kusum, M., Verma, R.C., Renu, M., Jain, H.k. and Deepak, S. (2018) A review: Chemical composition and utilization of egg, International Journal of Chemical Studies. Vol. 6(3).
   http://www.chemijournal.com/archives/2018/vol6issue3/PartAT/6-3-253-345.pdf
2. Soliman G. A. (2018) Dietary Cholesterol and the Lack of Evidence in Cardiovascular Disease, Nutrients. Vol. 10(6).
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024687

3. United States department of agriculture, Agriculture research service, USDA food composition data base. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
   https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/

4. Nimalaratne, C. and Wu, J. (2015) Hen Egg as an Antioxidant Food Commodity: A Review. Nutrients. Vol. 7(10).
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632414/

5. National Institutes of Health, Office of dietary supplements (2019). Choline.
   https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/