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Just one egg contains more than 10% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for over 11 essential vitamins and mineralsii.
You’ve probably heard at some point that eggs are high in cholesterol. The fact is, in healthy individuals, most population studies show no association between six egg per week diets and an increased risk of heart disease. Eggs contain only three grams (less than a teaspoon) of saturated fat and contain nearly six grams of polyunsaturated and two grams of monounsaturated fats (these are the good fats that actually remove cholesterol). This means you can enjoy eggs regularly as part of a healthy diet!
If that wasn’t enough, research confirms many of the nutritional components of eggs – such as omega 3 fatty acids, protein, folate, and vitamin E – can actually help protect against risk factors of heart disease and play a role in the maintenance of good heart healthiv. So there you have it, myth busted!
Eggs are a nutrient-dense food and provide a large number of essential vitamins and minerals for the whole family. Check out the majority of vital nutrients found in just one serve of eggs:
Protein is essential for practically every physiological process that occurs within our bodies – cell growth, maintenance and repair, metabolism, digestion, antibody production, and transportation of nutrients and oxygen in our bloodstreams.
Proteins found in eggs are considered to have high nutritional quality and are the nutritional standard against which all other proteins are comparedv. This is for two reasons:
Fats are required daily in the diet as they are a major source of energy (kilojoules), key component of cell membranes and assist in hormone synthesis and absorption of fat soluble vitamins.
One serve of eggs provides 10.3g of total fat. Of this, 3.4g is saturated, 5.3g is monounsaturated and 1.7g is polyunsaturated. This means that 68% of the fat in eggs is the healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated types.i
Eggs also provide a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 in eggs represents 12% of the omega-3 Adequate Intake (AI) recommendation for men and 20% for womenix. Of this, 114mg is the long chain omega-3 fatty acids DHA and DPA, which represents 71-127% of the adequate intake (AI)ix.
Omega-3 is essential for the body as it plays a major roles such as regulating blood pressure and blood clotting, helping to maintain a healthy immune system, and assisting in brain and spinal cord functionx. Unfortunately, the average intake of omega-3 fats in Australia is well below the levels recommended for preventing chronic diseasei. Most Australians would benefit from increasing their intake of omega-3 fats.
One serve of eggs provides 239µg of vitamin A as retinol. This represents 32% of the RDI for adults. Eggs are a good source of vitamin A and contain the right type of components to maximise absorption of this vitamin into the bodyi. Vitamin A is needed for healthy skin and eyes and for a strong immune system.
One serve of eggs provides 8% of the AI for vitamin D. Eggs are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D. This vitamin assists with the enhancement of calcium and phosphorus absorption, development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth and of a healthy nervous and immune system. Two eggs provide 20 times as much vitamin D as an average glass of full cream milk and 30 times as much as a glass of reduced fat milkxi.
As vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, it requires fat for absorption and fat is naturally provided in eggs. Fortified eggs can also provide more than the RDI in one serve. One serve of eggs provides 2.4mg of vitamin E, which is 24% of the RDIi.
Eggs are a good source of folate as they are highly bioavailablei. One serve of eggs provides 97mg of folate, which is 49% of the RDI for adults. Eggs also provide vitamin B12 along with folate, which can have advantages over folate-fortified foodsi. This is because folate works in combination with vitamin B12 to protect and develop the nervous system.
Thiamine is essential for the functioning of the heart, muscles, and nervous system and helps the body cells convert carbohydrates into energy. One serve of eggs provides 0.12mg of thiamine, which is 11% of the RDI for adults.
Riboflavin assists in the release of energy from carbohydrate, protein and fat as well as assisting in cell respiration. One serve of eggs provides 0.15mg of riboflavin, which is 29% of the RDI for adults. In other words, eggs provide almost a third of the recommended dietary intake for riboflavini.
Vitamin B5 assists with the synthesis of amino acids, fatty acids, sterols, steroid hormones and vitamin D. It is also aids the formation of red blood cells. Eggs are a very rich source of vitamin B5 with one serve of eggs providing 2.1 milligrams of vitamin B5, which is 42% of the RDI for adultsi.
Eggs provide a valuable source of iron for groups at risk of iron deficiency including vegetarians, toddlers, pregnant women and athletesi. However, eggs are classified as a food that has a low iron bioavailability. One serve of eggs provides 1.7mg of iron, which represents 14% of the RDI for adults.
One serve of eggs contains 0.5mg of zinc, which is 4% of the RDI. This may be particularly useful in a vegetarian diet where animal sources of zinc are restricted. Zinc in eggs may also be particularly useful in the diet of older Australians as many do not meet recommended dietary intakesi.
Eggs are an excellent source of selenium, a trace mineral required for many functions in the body. They include synthesis of thyroid hormones, which regulate basal metabolic rate and work with vitamin E as part of a key antioxidant enzyme. A serving of eggs provides 41µg of selenium, representing 59% of the RDIi.
A serve of eggs contains 43µg of iodine, 29% of the RDI, making eggs an excellent source. In fact, eggs are one of the few natural sources of iodinei. Iodine is a mineral essential for normal thyroid function and production of thyroid hormones, which are involved in regulating metabolism and development and differentiation of cells.
Choline helps cholesterol and fat metabolism, and transport of fat from the liver. It also helps in the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is involved in nerve and brain functioning and memory. Eggs are one of only a few food sources of choline and they provide more choline per kilojoule compared to most other foodsi.
Consuming eggs results in higher antioxidant levels in the bodyi. Eggs contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. Increased intakes of these antioxidants have been associated with eye health and may provide protection against age related eye diseasei.
Eating around one egg a day results in increased antioxidant concentrations in the macular region of the eyei. Research indicates that high intakes of antioxidants from eggs are associated with a reduced risk of cataract and age-related macular degenerationi. Furthermore, the bioavailability of lutein and zeaxanthin is higher from eggs than from other plant sourcesi.
Eggs also contain the amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan which have antioxidant properties.
Aside from their amazing taste, there’s loads of other reasons to eat eggs. From vitamins and minerals, to their nutritional balance, you can’t beat the humble egg. For some people eggs have even more benefits, find out why.
Eggs fit well within a range of weight loss diets, providing significant amounts of vitamins, minerals and protein, while only contributing 581kJ per serve (2 x 60gram eggs).
It is also well known that eggs are high in good quality protein. Protein has been shown to contribute to greater feelings of satisfaction after eating – people feel full for longer! This may therefore help people to stick to a weight loss diet for longer. So eating eggs as part of a low fat meal may assist in reducing food intake over the next 24 hours, therefore helping weight management.
Research has shown that eating breakfast is associated with a lower body weighti. Eggs should be a healthy inclusion at breakfast with one serving (two eggs) providing around the same amount of kilojoules as 2 thin slices of toast. In fact, consuming eggs for breakfast increases satiety and results in lower energy intake during the remainder of the day compared with a cereal or croissant breakfasti.
However, when on a weight reduction diet it can be common for muscle loss to occur. This may be minimised by including higher amounts of protein rich foods, such as eggs, as part of the eating plani. Finally, when eggs are included as part of a low kilojoule or low carbohydrate diet, they do not increase blood cholesterol levels and, in fact, have been shown to lead to improvements in HDL levelsi.
Egg allergy is one of the most common allergies in children and may be as high as 9%i. However, the good news is that approximately 85% of children will grow out of their egg allergyi.
Parents with egg allergy should be particularly careful to avoid the presence of eggs around their infants to minimize sensitivity via the inhalation routei. Healthy infants with no family history of egg allergy may eat egg yolk from 6-8 months of agei.
People with an allergy to egg should avoid all types of eggs including duck, goose and quaili. People with health concerns should seek dietary advice from their doctor or dietitian.