3. Eggs Are Loaded With Choline, an Important Nutrient For The Brain
Choline is a lesser-known nutrient that is often grouped with the B-complex vitamins.
Choline is an essential nutrient for human health and is needed for various processes in the body.
It is required to synthesize the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and is also a component of cell membranes.
A low choline intake has been implicated in liver diseases, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders (12).
This nutrient may be especially important for pregnant women. Studies show that a low choline intake can raise the risk of neural tube defects and lead to decreased cognitive function in the offspring (13).
In a dietary survey in the U.S. from 2003-2004, over 90% of people ate less than the daily recommended amount of choline (14)!
The best sources of choline in the diet are egg yolks and beef liver. One large egg contains 113 mg of Choline.
Bottom Line: Choline is an essential nutrient that 90% of people in the U.S. aren’t getting enough of. Egg yolks are an excellent source of choline.
4. Eggs Contain High Quality Proteins With a Perfect Amino Acid Profile
Proteins are the main building blocks of the body and serve both structural and functional purposes.
They consist of amino acids that are linked together, kind of like beads on a string, then folded into complex shapes.
There are about 21 amino acids that the body uses to build its proteins.
The body can not produce 9 of these amino acids, which are deemed as “essential” and must be gotten from the diet.
The quality of a protein source is determined by its relative amounts of these essential amino acids. A protein source that contains all of them in the right ratios is a good source of protein.
Eggs are among the best sources of protein in the diet. In fact, the biological value (a measure of protein quality) is often evaluated by comparing it to eggs, which are given the perfect score of 100.
Bottom Line: Eggs are an excellent source of protein, with all the essential amino acids in the right ratios.