Health & Nutrition

EGGS ARE JAM PACKED FULL OF NUTRITIONAL GOODNESS AND PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN MAINTAINING A HEALTHY DIET.

Eggs have a high percentage of Vitamins and Minerals in comparison to the energy they provide. Just one egg contains more than 10% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for over 11 essential vitamins and mineralsⁱⁱ.

THE BIG EGG MYTH

Debunking the link between egg consumption and high cholesterol

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 health^iv. So there you have it, myth busted!

EGGS AND NUTRITION

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

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 compared^v. This is for two reasons:

They contain all 9 essential amino acids^vi. Amino acids are considered the “building blocks for the body” because they help form protein.
The amount of amino acids in eggs closely match human requirements. In other words, greater than 95% of egg protein is digestible, meaning eggs are classified as a highly digestible protein source^vii.

Fat and Omega 3

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 women^ix. 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 function^x. 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.

Vitamin A

Vitamin D

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 milk^xi.

Vitamin E

Folate

Thiamine

Riboflavin

Vitamin B5

Iron

Zinc

Selenium

Iodine

Choline

Antioxidants

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.

WHY EAT EGGS?

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.

Why you should eat eggs if you're Pregnant

Eggs are an excellent way for pregnant women to meet their increased nutritional requirements during pregnancy. One serve of eggs provides almost 100% of the additional protein requirements and around a third of the extra kilojoules required during pregnancy and lactationⁱ.
Eggs provide useful amounts of nutrients that assist in reaching the increased nutritional requirements of pregnancy such as iron, folate and zincⁱ.
Eggs can be a particularly helpful in the diet of pregnant vegetarian women as they provide the ideal complement of all essential amino acids needed for growth and developmentⁱ.
One serving of eggs provides over 30% the daily requirements for vitamin B12 during pregnancyⁱ.
Choline is particularly useful in the diet of pregnant and lactating women. Eggs are therefore highly recommended at this time of lifeⁱ.
Pregnant women are at risk of mild to moderate iodine deficiencyⁱ. One serve of eggs provides 20% of the iodine RDI during pregnancyⁱ.

Why you should eat eggs if you're a kid

Eggs are a nutritious food for children, fitting well within the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents.
Eggs improve the nutrient content of children’s diets.
One serve of eggs provides around a third of the recommended dietary intake of folate for childrenⁱ. Folate is essential for the growth and maintenance of healthy cells.
One serve of eggs provides around half the recommended dietary intake of vitamin A for childrenⁱ. Vitamin A is essential for growth and eye health.
Eggs are a valuable source of omega-3 fatty acids which are commonly lacking in the diets of Australian childrenⁱ.

Why you should eat eggs if you're a teenager

Eggs provide a broad range of important nutrients essential to meet the needs of growing teenagers.
Many teenagers fall short of vitamin A, folate, iodine, zinc, iron and phosphorus requirementsⁱ. Eggs provide useful amounts of these nutrients and may help boost intakes closer to RDI levels.
Due to the wide range of nutrients found in eggs, they are a particularly useful inclusion in the diet of teenagers who may be following special diets.
Many teenagers skip breakfast and due to the variety of nutrients and protein found in eggs, they can provide a nutritious start to a teenager’s day.

Why you should eat eggs if you're a vegetarian

Eggs can play a significant role in a vegetarian diet due to the levels of high quality protein, vitamin B12 and iron – nutrients that are often low in a vegetarian eating pattern.
Eggs can be a particularly valuable source of omega-3 fatty acids in a vegetarian diet as intakes are often particularly low in this group of people. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the health of the heart and blood vessels.
One serve of eggs contains useful amounts of selenium (59% RDI), vitamin B12 (40% RDI) and iron (14% RDI), all nutrients that can be low in a vegetarian diet.

Why you should eat eggs if you're an athlete

Protein requirements are often higher than average for athletes and eggs provide a valuable source of high quality protein for this group.
Eggs provide a range of valuable nutrients in the diets of sports people including iron, folate and vitamin B12, all required for healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen to the working musclesⁱ.
Eggs provide a range of valuable antioxidants which may assist recovery after exercise by reducing muscle and cell damageⁱ.
Evidence suggests sportspeople have increased antioxidant requirementsⁱ. Eggs provide a range of antioxidant nutrients.

Why you should eat eggs if you're 65+

Due to age related changes in the functioning of the digestive system, nutrient requirements can be higher in older Australiansⁱ. Due to the variety of nutrients found in eggs, they can play a particularly valuable role in the diet of this group.
The majority of older Australians do not meet their RDI for vitamins A and E, and eggs can provide a useful contribution to meeting requirements with one serving providing 27-34% RDI for vitamin A and 24-34% RDI for vitamin Eⁱ.
The incidence of heart related problems are highest in older Australiansⁱ. Eggs are a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to be beneficial for the heart and blood vesselsⁱ.
Eggs contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which are associated with lower rates of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the leading cause of blindness in older Australiansⁱ.

Weight Management

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.

Eggs and Allergies

Egg allergy is one of the most common allergies in children and may be as high as 9%. However, the good news is that approximately 85% of children will grow out of their egg allergy.

Parents with egg allergy should be particularly careful to avoid the presence of eggs around their infants to minimize sensitivity via the inhalation route. Healthy infants with no family history of egg allergy may eat egg yolk from 6-8 months of age.

People with an allergy to egg should avoid all types of eggs including duck, goose and quail. People with health concerns should seek dietary advice from their doctor or dietitian.

REFERENCES

ⁱ Food & Nutrition Australia Pty Ltd. (2013). Literature Review of the Nutritional and Health Benefits of Eggs (9th ed.). Sydney, Australia : Australian Egg Corporation Limited. (Original work published 2004).

ⁱⁱ Australian Egg Corporation Limited. (2011). Egg-cyclopaedia. Eggs Easy As, 1-28.

ⁱⁱⁱ National Heart Foundation of Australia. Position statement. Dietary fats and dietary sterols for cardiovascular health (2009).

^iv Gray, J. & Griffin, B. Eggs and dietary cholesterol -dispelling the myth. Nutr Bull 34, 66-70 (2009).

^v Chernoff, R. Protein and Older Adults. J Am Coll Nutr 23, 627S-630S (2004).

^vi Mann, J. & Truswell, A.S. Essentials of Human Nutrition, Oxford University Press, New York,(2002).

^vii Millward, D.J. Macronutrient intakes as determinants of dietary protein and amino acid adequacy. J Nutr 134, 1588S-1596S (2004).

^viii Food Nutrition Australia. Literature Review of the Nutritional and Health Benefits of Eggs. 3.2 Protein, p15. 2013.

^ix National Health and Medical Research Council. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand including Recommended Dietary Intakes (NHRMC, Canberra, 2006).

^x Department of Health and Ageing. (2010). Nutrition . Retrieved May 5,, 2013, from http://www.measureup.gov.au/internet/abhi/publishing.nsf/Content/Nutrition-lp