SA Egg Industry comment on the Good Life

Madeleine de Villiers, a consulting dietitian for the South African Egg Industry, had this to say in response to the Good Life Dietitian’s blog posts on eggs earlier this year.

“We at the SA Egg Industry are delighted that more and more dietitians and other people such as health writers are seeing the light regarding the health benefits of eggs, and are willing to help dispel the myth and spread the good news. I strongly support all the points you have discussed and would like to add a few comments in support of your statements:

1)        Limiting eggs may have negative effects on vulnerable parts of the population: In the current difficult financial climate, eggs can play a useful role as a relatively inexpensive source of nutrition for all, but especially for people on low incomes. Many older people have eliminated eggs from their diet for fear that they may increase their risk of heart disease. Researchers at the University of Connecticut have shown that eating 3 eggs per day does not increase heart disease risk factors in healthy elderly people. Eggs can provide older people with an affordable, easy to prepare, highly nutritious food that is an excellent source of protein as well as a variety of other important nutrients.

2)        Pregnancy:  I would like to add that on top of the important role of choline in fetal brain development, it also plays a role in lifelong memory function. One egg yolk per day can help meet roughly 25-28% of men, women and pregnant and breastfeeding women’s choline requirement. The latest research has also shown that higher choline intakes are related to a reduced breast cancer risk and lower levels of inflammatory markers in the blood.

3)        The nutrient density of eggs makes them a valuable contributor to an overall nutritious diet. One egg has 13 essential vitamins and minerals as well as the 2 antioxidants, lutein and zexanthin, which you have discussed. A study amongst egg vs. non-egg consumers revealed that that the diets of the non-egg consumers were more likely to fall short of vitamins A, E and B₁₂. It has also been shown that less than 10% of the US population achieves the recommended Adequate Intake (AI) for choline, including pregnant women. Adding one egg a day to the diet improves choline intake from 1 in 10 to over half achieving recommended choline AI. These data demonstrate the important role one food, eggs, can play in ensuring nutrient adequacy.”

So it seems that one whole egg per day is safe as part of a healthy diet. It is therefore very clear to us that it is time to put eggs back in their rightful place in the South African diet.