Why Eggs are the Healthiest Food

Eggs contain so many good nutrients that they’re often referred to as ‘nature’s multivitamin’. They are full of antioxidants and health benefits: here are six good reasons why eggs are so good for you.

They are Among the Most Nutritious Foods of All

One little egg contains a huge amount of nutrients, and that’s because there has to be enough nutritional value in there to grow a single fertilized cell into a baby chick. That may sound a bit gross, but eggs are loaded with vitamins, minerals, good quality protein, good fats and other nutrient.

A single large egg has:

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin B2

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin B5

• Selenium

• Small amounts of calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, vitamin E, folate and many more

• 77 calories, with 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and trace carbohydrates

Eggs Actually Improve Your Cholesterol

In the past, we were warned to steer clear of eggs because they were full of cholesterol. One large egg has 212 mg of cholesterol, which is a lot, but research has shown that dietary sources of cholesterol have very little impact on cholesterol in the blood.

Your liver is responsible for cholesterol output, and the amount depends on how much you eat. If you eat almost no cholesterol from food, your liver will produce more of it to compensate.

Studies also show that eggs actually improve your cholesterol profile. They raise HDL, (which is the ‘good’ cholesterol), and they change LDL, (which is the ‘bad’ cholesterol) to a subtype which is not as strongly associated with heart disease.

Eggs Are Full of Choline, Which is Important for the Brain

Choline is often grouped with the B vitamins, and is an essential nutrient for health, as it is needed for various processes in the bod

Low choline intake has been linked with liver diseases, heart disease and neurological disorders. Pregnant women should get as much choline as they can to help prevent neural tube defects and reduced cognitive function in the baby.

A lot of people don’t get enough choline in their diet, and a Canadian study of pregnant women found that only 23 percent had an adequate intake of choline.

Egg yolks and beef liver are the best sources of choline, with one large egg providing 113 mg of choline.

Eggs are Full of Good Quality Proteins

Our bodies need protein to build and maintain muscle and for other functions. Proteins consist of amino acids that are linked together then folded into complex shapes. Our bodies use around 21 amino acids to build proteins, and nine of these must be dietary, as they cannot be produced by the body.

Eggs are among the best sources of high-quality proteins in the diet, and the humble egg has a perfect score of 100 on the protein quality scale.

Eggs Help Protect Vision

Lutein and zeaxanthin are two antioxidants both found in egg yolk, and they have powerful protective benefits for the eyes. They tend to collect in the retina, which is the sensory part of the eye, and they protect from harmful sunlight.

These antioxidants reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, which are among the leading causes of vision impairment in the elderly.

Eggs in The Morning Can Help You Lose Body Fat

Eggs rate very highly on the satiety index, which is a measure of how full foods make you feel over a certain timescale.

This is probably why eggs have been regarded as a perfect breakfast food for decades. In one study, 30 overweight or obese women had a breakfast of eggs or bagels. Both breakfasts had the same amount of calories, but the women who had eggs felt fuller and ate less for the rest of the day compared to the bagel group.