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3 Reasons Eggs are “Nature’s Multivitamin”

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Eggs are an incredible superfood. Not only are they a convenient source of protein, but they’re an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals. In fact, eggs are sometimes referred to a “nature’s multivitamin” for this very reason. Below, I highlight 3 reasons.

1. Eggs are extremely nutrient dense.

 

Like I said earlier, I like to think of eggs as nature’s multivitamin. But before I list off all of the nutrients and health benefits of eggs, I want to note that nearly all of these nutrients are found in the egg yolk, not the egg whites. So be sure to eat the whole egg so you don’t miss out on all of these great health benefits! One large egg has 27% of your daily value (%DV) of choline, 28% DV selenium, 23% DV vitamin B2, 23

 

% DV vitamin B12, 14% DV vitamin B5, 12% DV phosphorus, and 11% DV vitamin A. That’s a whole lot of micronutrition for one egg!

 

Next to beef liver, whole eggs have the highest concentration of choline when compared to other foods. Choline isn’t very well known, even in the health community, and many people don’t get enough choline in their diet. Believe it or not, the importance of choline as an essential nutrient for health wasn’t determined until the 1990s! (If you want to nerd out on choline’s history, check this out.) Choline plays a major role in the production of acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter for memory, mood, muscle control, etc. In other words, choline supports a whole host of brain and nervous system functions. It also plays a role in gene expression, cell health, and early brain development.

 

Long story short, have a couple of eggs each day is almost like taking a multivitamin out of mother nature’s medicine cabinet!

2. Eggs are full of antioxidants.

 

Whole eggs are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, two yellow carotenoid antioxidants. While they are both powerful antioxidants that support your health in a variety of ways, they are especially important for protecting your eyes. Lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate in the macular region of the retina, where they can have a positive impact on eye health.  Regular consumption of lutein and zeaxanthin can protect against things like macular degeneration and cataracts.

 

They also act as antioxidants in the body by protecting your cells from damage and removing free radicals found in your eyes. They can even decrease the amount of plaque build-up in your arteries and reduce the damaging effects of LDL cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol. According to this study, incorporating egg yolks into your diet can increase the amount of lutein in your blood by 28% and zeaxanthin by 142%.

3. Eggs are a great source of high-quality proteins.

 

Eggs are a phenomenal source of proteins, which are essentially the building blocks of the body. Proteins are made up of 20 amino acids, 9 of which the body can’t make itself. The amounts of these 9 amino acids, also known as essential amino acids, determines the quality of the protein source. The more essential amino acids found in the protein source, the higher the quality. One large egg has 78 calories, 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and less than 1 gram of carbs. Those 6 grams of protein consist of all of the 9 essential amino acids, which makes it a very high quality source of protein. Incorporating eggs into your diet, especially earlier in the day, can even promote weight loss! Their high protein and fat content (relative to their low calorie content) make eggs very satiating, which makes them great for weight loss.

If you’ve been wondering if you have a balanced diet and are getting all the vitamins and nutrients you need, don’t hesitate to reach out.  I would love the opportunity to work with you!

 

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