Eating eggs is more than just protein! The University of Alabama at Birmingham study showed that eating eggs can improve arterial health. Eating 3 eggs a day can adjust cholesterol state, reduce cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and help to lose weight.
Taipei, Taiwan (Business Northeast) – Do you have eggs on your dinner plate? On World Food Day in 2021, eggs are listed by the United Nations as an international star food, and many studies have confirmed that eating eggs has many benefits for your health. According to research from The University of Alabama at Birmingham eating eggs can improve arterial health. The research team found that eating 3 eggs a day can adjust the cholesterol status in the body, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and help lose weight, which is also helpful for the elderly. The study was published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism.
The study included 34 overweight people between the ages of 60 and 75, who were tested on either a low-carb or low-fat diet. The results of the study found that those on a low-carb diet lost an average of 9.7% in body fat, decreased fasting insulin levels, and therefore had a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease, as well as significantly increased thigh muscle mass. Conversely, those on a low-fat diet lost only 2% of body fat.
Because eggs are a highly nutritious food source and are extremely important for the growth period and maintenance of muscle mass. And a low-carb diet has many benefits for people over the age of 65, including preventing or reducing chronic disease by improving overall cholesterol status and arterial health in the body, as well as maintaining better muscle mass.
Eating eggs has many benefits
- Improve immunity: One of the keys to good immunity is a high-quality protein, enough protein can enhance immunity and prevent colds. It also helps with antibody production after vaccination, and the zinc in eggs also strengthens the immune system.
- Increase muscle mass: Developing adolescents and older adults who need to maintain muscle mass are advised to eat more eggs to supplement protein. Modern people are at risk of sarcopenia because of less exercise and insufficient protein intake, and it will also cause bone loss in the long run, so they can also eat more eggs.
- Good for hair and nails: Many people have broken nails, hair loss, and skin problems, especially women. The cause is often related to insufficient protein intake or iron deficiency anemia. Eggs are one of the high-quality sources of protein, providing essential nutrients for skin, hair, and nail growth.
- Beneficial to eye health: Due to overuse of the eyes and the blue light of 3C products, modern people often cause macular degeneration and optic nerve decline. Vitamin A, lutein, and zeaxanthin in eggs are nutrients that are beneficial to eye health, and their bioavailability is higher than that of lutein in vegetables, which can be eaten more.
- Mood-boosting and anti-depression: The protein in food is digested and broken down to produce amino acids, which are the precursors for the happy hormone serotonin, GABA, and dopamine. Melatonin which affects sleep quality is also related to serotonin. Therefore, insufficient protein will cause insufficient amino acids, which will easily lead to poor sleep and depression.
- Brain and memory enhancement: In addition to protein, the nutrients in eggs also contain vitamin B group, lecithin, and choline, which can help synthesize neurotransmitters in the brain and maintain the normal operation of the nervous system and brain. It also affects memory, concentration, and the ability to process emotions, so eating eggs and the brain can also help memory.
Eating eggs this way is healthier
How to eat eggs can be healthier? Dietitians recommend that eating a whole egg is the healthiest, most nutrient-dense, and helps fat metabolism. Eggs do not contain more than the recommended daily amount of cholesterol per person, and they are not bad fats that can cause bad cholesterol. Generally, healthy adults can eat 2 to 3 eggs a day. If there is a history of high cholesterol, arterial infarction, and fatty liver disease, one is better. It can be eaten in a balanced manner with other high-quality proteins such as beans, fish, chicken, dairy, etc., to obtain enough protein for one day.
Some time points are the body needs to supplement protein, and it also has various benefits for the body. Therefore, you can take the opportunity to eat eggs to strengthen the body’s role in repairing cells and synthesizing neurotransmitters. Eggs at breakfast can be eaten with nuts and a little vegetable oil, such as olive oil, to make the fat-soluble nutrients in eggs more absorbed, stabilize blood sugar and mood, supply the raw materials needed for serotonin production, and improve the quality of sleep at night. Eating eggs before sleep can sprinkle an appropriate amount of black pepper to promote digestion and gastrointestinal absorption, improve metabolism, strengthen the detoxification function of the liver during sleep, and lose weight while sleeping.
Eat eggs before exercise with a little salt, and eat with crude fiber starches, vegetables, and fruits to supplement the sodium lost during sweating during exercise, restore physical strength and prevent dehydration. After exercise, you can eat boiled or half-boiled eggs to increase the speed of protein repairing muscles and reduce fatigue. It can also be mixed with rice and eaten together to slow down the rise of blood sugar and increase the feeling of fullness, avoiding eating too fast or eating a lot after exercising. The protein of half-boiled eggs with a certain degree of maturity is easier to combine with good bacteria to fight bad bacteria and reduce gastrointestinal discomfort.
Although eggs are one of the high-quality sources of protein and are rich in many nutrients that the body needs, there are some precautions when eating them. Boiled eggs are the main ones, with higher nutrient absorption and safer. If you have immune system-related diseases such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, etc., you can ask your doctor to test allergens to confirm whether you are allergic to eggs, especially children.
If the number of eggs you eat increases to 2 to 3 eggs a day and you find that your cholesterol level has increased, you can adjust the number of eggs you eat to confirm the daily amount that is more suitable for you. If you have chronic kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high blood lipids, you should pay attention to the total protein intake every day, and reduce the situation of eating a lot of meat and eggs at the same time. Mastering all kinds of egg-eating tips can benefit from it and develop a healthy body.
