Loaded with nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants, there are few foods that can surpass the egg and really make a case for themselves as a ‘superfood.’ Whether you prefer them scrambled, poached, boiled, or fried, Americans eat close to 95 million dozen eggs every year.
Due to its versatility in the kitchen and availability in the marketplaces, egg consumption is on the rise, especially now that people are wary of the benefits they offer not only to our bodies but also improving our quality of life as a result.
unsplash/Coffeefy Workafe. High in protein but low in calories, the egg does make the concept of having your cake and eating it indeed a reality
For the longest time, there was a constant debate about whether eggs were indeed a healthy source of energy, a discussion that was further fueled by the publication of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s dietary guidelines.
The department’s recommended daily intake of dietary cholesterol stood at 300 milligrams and considering that an egg yolk alone contains roughly 215 to 275 milligrams of cholesterol, we can now understand how eggs have racked up quite the rap sheet against them over the years. The guidelines have since been amended and updated so the door is wide open for the egg to make a comeback.
Debunking the Myth of Eggs and Blood Cholesterol
High in protein but low in calories, the egg does make the concept of having your cake and eating it indeed a reality. While the health benefits of eating eggs every day certainly outweigh the cons in a massive way, there certainly are things to keep in mind nonetheless. The other side of the coin is that some studies have linked excessive egg consumption to an increased risk of certain cancers and egg allergies.
unsplash/Natalie Rhea. Eggs contain tons of protein and all of the nine amino acids required for tissue and muscle rebuilding.
Although eggs are rich in dietary cholesterol, the term should not be confused with blood cholesterol since the former does not have a significant effect on the latter. In 2006, a research by Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care concluded that in more than two-thirds of the cases, consuming eggs and foods rich in dietary cholesterol had an insignificant effect on blood cholesterol.
Certain Type of Eggs Can Even Lower the Risk of A Heart Attack
While some people have associated daily consumption of eggs with heart diseases, in reality, eggs that are rich in omega-3 can lower your triglycerides and in turn, make you less prone to a heart attack.
unsplash/Tengyart. Consuming raw eggs can have adverse effects on health whereas boiled eggs are deemed to be the best way to consume chicken eggs.
Omega-3 eggs are laid by chickens that have had omega-3 supplements added to their feed. According to a study by Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases in 2007, the eggs of chickens whose feed has been enriched by omega-3-rich items like tuna oil or flaxseed contained up to nine times more omega-3s when compared with regular eggs. The experiment also studied subjects who consumed these omega-3-rich eggs and concluded that their triglyceride levels were 16% to 18% lower on average across the board.
The Bottom Line
Although we have briefly touched upon a few key benefits of eating eggs, in reality, from boosting your brainpower and vision to decreasing your anxiety and depression, the list of benefits with this superfood is seemingly endless.
