Eggs are super-perfect foods given by nature and can provide all the nutrients (rich in vitamins and minerals) needed for the birth of new life. Not only are they cheap, but there are many changes in cooking methods.
Eggs can be said to be the best source of protein in natural foods. The bioavailability is far better than a variety of foods (such as milk, beans, beef, whey protein, etc.), eating it often will not only make you strong and strong (containing choline), It can also protect overworked eyes (containing lutein).
What are the benefits of eggs?
Will eating eggs affect cholesterol?
In the impression, the relationship between Egg and high cholesterol is deeply rooted in the heart of the people. In fact, each egg does contain about 200 mg of cholesterol
But it is worth noting that the cholesterol in the human body is mainly produced by the liver (about 70%), and the rest is derived from food, and the excessive intake of cholesterol in food does not significantly affect the cholesterol in the blood ( When eating more cholesterol, the liver will automatically adjust to reduce the synthesis to keep the body’s cholesterol constant).
In 2015, the latest dietary guideline published by the United States official also lifted the decades of restrictions on cholesterol (the original daily limit was 300mg), which also mentioned that taking an appropriate amount of cholesterol is a necessary part of a healthy diet. It can be supplemented by eggs or shelled seafood (containing cholesterol and high-quality protein).
In a paper that discusses eating eggs and cholesterol, it is mentioned that about 70% of people after eating high cholesterol foods will not affect the cholesterol value in the blood, while the remaining 30% may slightly affect the value (such as Total Cholesterol, LDL cholesterol), but this does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
However, if there is familial hypercholesterolemia or other genetic mutations, it is difficult for the body to metabolize cholesterol. Avoid eating such foods.
What are the recommended effects of eggs?
1. Eggs are rich in nutrients
Eggs can be said to be one of the most nutritious foods on earth because it can provide all the nutrients needed for the birth of a chicken. For the human body, although it can not meet all the nutritional needs, it is also very close to the ideal value.
A complete boiled egg (about 50 grams) has 77 calories and contains 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of high-quality fat. In addition to the following vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin A: 244 IU
Vitamin D: 17.5 IU
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol): 0.5mg
Vitamin B1: 20.6mcg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.2mg
Vitamin B6: 0.1mg
Folate: 23.5mcg
Pantothenic Acid: 0.7mg
Choline: 126mg
Betaine: 0.3mg
Calcium: 26.5mg
Iron: 0.9mg
Magnesium: 6.0mg
Phosphorus: 95.5mg
Potassium: 67.0mg
Sodium: 70.0mg
Zinc: 0.6mg
Copper: 0.1mg
Selenium: 15.8mcg
2. Contains lutein and zeaxanthin to protect precious eyesight
Mobile phones and computers have become an indispensable tool for modern people’s life and work. Almost all information, entertainment, and work in a day depend on these devices.
The consequence of excessive use is that the eyes appear tired, dry, and blurred, and the high-energy blue light emitted by the screen is seriously harmful to vision. It is easy to cause the degradation of the crystal and retina, causing cataracts and macular degeneration, which may lead to blindness.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are the components of a small number of all nutrients that can enter the macular part of the retina (the core of vision, equivalent to the photosensitive element of the camera), can form macular pigment, neutralize free radicals, and protect the photosensitive cells from high energy Light damage.
Many studies have found that if enough lutein and zeaxanthin can be taken, the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts can be greatly reduced.
A controlled trial found that daily ingestion of eggs (especially egg yolks) and continuous blood sampling after 5 weeks found that the concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin in the blood can be significantly increased by 26% and 38% (cholesterol and triglycerides are not Affected).
And more importantly, the bioavailability of lutein from egg yolk is higher than that of vegetables and various fortified supplements. It can be said to be the first choice for eye protection.
3. Improve High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
When hearing cholesterol, most of them are bad subjective impressions, but in fact, cholesterol is an indispensable lipid for maintaining normal physiological functions
Cholesterol is one of the fats circulating in the blood (the others also include triglycerides, free fatty acids, etc.), the main function of which is to form cell membranes, maintain cell integrity, and also form hormones (androgens, estrogens, glucocorticoids) And bile salts (the main component of bile can promote fat absorption).
Because cholesterol is not soluble in blood, it is mainly transported by lipoprotein carriers in the body. According to factors such as lipid ratio and particle size, it is mainly divided into low-density lipoprotein LDL/bad cholesterol transport (mainly responsible for transporting cholesterol to the body) and high-density lipoprotein HDL / carrying good cholesterol (responsible for recovering the remaining cholesterol to the liver).
When HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) is high, there is usually a low incidence of cardiovascular disease and stroke. In several studies, it has been found that eating more eggs does have the effect of raising HDL and cholesterol.
4. Reduce ultra-low-density lipoprotein (Very-low-density lipoprotein)
Low-density lipoprotein/LDL is often called bad cholesterol. Once the amount is too large, it is easy to accumulate in the blood vessel wall to form atherosclerotic plaque, which increases the incidence of arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Under LDL, a type of ultra-bad cholesterol (VLDL/Very-low-density lipoprotein) can be subdivided. Due to the small particles and the extremely oxidizable properties, it is more likely to cause inflammation and deposit in blood vessels to form arteries. Atherosclerosis is currently an important indicator for predicting cardiovascular disease.
The study also pointed out that eating eggs can increase the chance of conversion of ultra-bad cholesterol-VLDL to LDL (which may slightly increase LDL), which may be positively helpful for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
5. Rich in choline to maintain normal brain function and prevent various diseases
In the United States, a diet survey found that 90% of adults’ daily intake of choline nutrients did not reach the recommended standard value.
Choline, also known as vitamin B4, is one of the B group vitamins. Its main function is to maintain normal cell membrane function. It is also used to manufacture acetylcholine (neurotransmitter), cell signals (phospholipids), and lipid delivery (lipoproteins), methyl metabolism (reduced homocysteine/Homocysteine) essential substances.
The study also found that if enough choline is consumed in the diet, it will help reduce the incidence of memory loss, cardiovascular disease, increased inflammation index, neural tube defects (Neural Tube Defects), and cancer.
Eggs (especially egg yolks) are the most abundant source of choline in natural foods (others include liver, fish, milk, etc.). On average, each egg contains about 125mg of choline, which allows you to make up for this important nutrient (daily recommendation The amount is: 550 mg for men and 425 mg for women).
6. Not only will it not increase the incidence of cardiovascular disease (conversely, it may be reduced)
Cardiovascular disease is usually the top three of the top ten causes of death in various countries in the world. There is no first and second, and its occurrence is usually the common result of atherosclerosis, aging, and hypertension.
In terms of prevention, diet, exercise, quitting smoking and drinking are indispensable. By improving lifestyle habits, at least 70% of the serious cardiovascular consequences can be reduced, and the remaining three achievements are uncontrolled aging, genetic and gender differences.
For decades, egg foods have been stigmatized by cholesterol, which is thought to cause excessive cholesterol and increase the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
An integrated database analysis (17 studies with a total of about 260,000 people) found that eating more eggs (one per day) in the diet does not increase the incidence of cardiovascular and stroke diseases (but one of the small subgroup studies Found that it may increase the cardiovascular risk of diabetic patients, but it has not been confirmed).
Other integrated studies have also pointed out that adding eggs to a healthy diet is still safe and recommended (some have also been found to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease), and its effect on blood lipids is almost negligible, whether it is for healthy people or interested This is true for people with vascular disease and diabetes.
Conclusion
The benefits of eating eggs are really beyond description. In the above research cases, it is believed that 1 to 3 eggs per day are within the safe range, and they will not cause health concerns for ordinary people. On the contrary, they can bring many benefits.