The Health Benefits of Eggs

We hope you have been enjoying experimenting in the kitchen with Suzanne's fantastic egg recipes. As you've gathered, the Good Life Dietitians highly recommend eggs to be included as part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. This post will focus on the health benefits of eggs.

Eggs have an exceptional nutritional profile. In fact, a lack of eggs in the diet may even have negative effects, particularly for vulnerable parts of the population, such as the elderly, children and low income families.

Eyes    Eggs are high in lutein and zexanthin, antioxidants which are also components of the human eye. Regular consumption of eggs thus helps to preserve eye sight and prevent loss of vision. Lutein and zexanthin, though found in higher concentrations in dark, green leafy vegetables, are more easily absorbed from an eggs then a vegetable source.

Pregnancy      Eggs are an excellent source of choline, a mineral critical in foetal and brain development. Inadequate choline intake during pregnancy increased risk for neural tube defects. During pregnancy, large amounts of choline are delivered to the developing fetus, depleting maternal stores. Eggs are also high in folate, a B-vitamin involved in cell division and red blood cell production. It is especially important in pregnant women and those trying to conceive as a diet low in folate may cause neural tube defects and increase risk of low birth weight.

Heart disease There is an ever increasing body of evidence showing no relationship between egg consumption and heart disease risk. In fact, the three countries with the highest per capita egg intake (Japan, Spain and France) have much lower rates of heart disease compared to the USA. Choline is also beneficial in reducing the risk of heart disease, a far cry from the supposed increased risk in the 70s.

Weight loss     A 2005 study in the Journal of the American College on Nutrition found that those who had two eggs for breakfast felt fuller for longer than those who ate a bagel-based breakfast. Also, the egg breakfast group ate significantly fewer calories at lunch.