5 Amazing Health Benefits of Eggs

The health benefits of eggs cannot be overemphasized as it has nutritional components that are helpful to the human body. In this article, we would be talking about the benefits of eggs, their origin, their components, and how it is a necessary item for healthy living.

Origin of Egg

History has it that humans have been eating eggs for about 6 million years. Eggs were originally eaten raw from the nests of wild birds.

It is said that jungle birds were tamed for egg production in India in the year 3200 BC.

It is also thought that Ancient Egypt and China were the first areas to domesticated hens.

People in South Asia in 1500 BC had already started the domestication of chickens and harvesting their eggs for food.

The most widely eaten variation of eggs is those of the fowl, especially chickens. Ostrich eggs were also eaten as well but not as commonly as Chicken eggs.

People also explored eating eggs from reptiles, amphibians as well as fish.

Fish egg eaten as food is popularly known as roe or caviar. 

The bird and reptile eggs have a productive eggshell, albumen (egg white), and vitellus (egg yolk) contained within various thin membranes. 

Due to their protein content, the United States Department of Agriculture formerly categorized eggs as meats within the Food Guide Pyramid. 

Regardless of the nutritional value of eggs, there are some potential health issues arising from cholesterol content, salmonella contamination, and allergy to egg proteins.

Eggs have always been a valuable foodstuff since prehistory in both hunting societies  and other cultures where chickens had been domesticated.

In Thebes Egypt, the tomb of Haremhab, dating to approximately 1420 BCE, shows a depiction of a man carrying a bowl of ostrich eggs as well as other large eggs which were thought to be those of the pelican as offerings. In ancient Rome, egg shells were crushed and used to wade off evil spirits.

In the Middle Ages, eggs were forbidden during Lent because of their richness in components. An annual pause in egg consumption to allow farmers to rest their flock and to also limit the hen’s consumption of feed during the times of the year when food stocks are usually scarce.

Eggs were also scrambled with acidic fruit juices in France in the seventeenth century, this may have been the origin of lemon curd.

The dried egg industry originated sometime in the nineteenth century way before the rise of the frozen egg industry. In 1878 a company in St. Louis Missouri started to transform egg yolk and egg white into a light brown meal-like substance by using a drying process. The production of dried eggs significantly expanded during World War II for use by the United States Armed Forces and its allies.

Structural Components of Egg

The components of the Egg include the shell and shell membranes, the albumen or white which is about 60 percent of the egg, including the thick albumen, the outer thin albumen, the inner thin albumen, and the chalaza and the yolk which makes up about 30 percent. In a fertilized egg, the yolk supplies the nutrients and the albumen supplies the water necessary for the development of the embryo.

Nutritional Components of Egg

The egg is a source of high-quality protein that contains amino acids which are very essential in the human diet. It is also an excellent source of all vitamins with the exception of vitamin C and contains a lot of essential minerals which include, but are not limited to phosphorus and zinc.

All the fats as well as cholesterol are found in the yolk. Yolk fats are usually high in unsaturated fatty acids. In modern times, by influencing the diet of hens particular emphasis has been given to increasing the highly unsaturated long-chain Omega 3 fatty acid by adding fish oil to the hen feed. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to be a fundamental tool in the growth and development of the human body and it also helps prevents many diseases.

The cholesterol content of a large egg is approximately 216 milligrams. However, in recent times the egg industry has made progress in lowering cholesterol content through genetic selection and improved diet.

Health Benefits of Eggs

The health benefits of eggs are numerous as it contains a lot of ingredients that are necessary for the growth and development of the human body.

In this article, we will be listing 5 key Health benefits of Eggs how it helps the human body and is essential in our diet.

1. It is highly nutritious: Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. Eggs contain various trace nutrients that are important to their health. The health benefits of egg lie in their nutritional value as it contains a little bit of almost every nutrient needed by the human body. Eggs are a perfect food to boat your health. Eggs contain high amounts of omega-3 fat and are very high in vitamins A and E.

      A single large boiled egg contains

• Vitamin A: 8% of the DV (daily value)
• Folate: 6% of the DV
• Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5): 14% of the DV
• Vitamin B12: 23% of the DV
• Riboflavin (vitamin B2): 20% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 7% of the DV
• Selenium: 28% of the DV
• Eggs also contain decent amounts of vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B6, calcium, and zinc.

Eggs are the most nutritional foods n the planet containing a bit of almost every nutrient essential for healthy living.

2. Rich in Cholesterol: This health benefits of eggs is another one to note. It is important to note that cholesterol in your diet may not necessarily be harmful to your health as is widely thought. The liver produces large amounts of cholesterol every single day, so when you eat more cholesterol, your liver is able to regulate cholesterol levels by producing less to even it out. It is necessary to eat eggs to boost your cholesterol levels.

However, in 70% of people, eating cholesterol may not raise blood cholesterol, while the other 30% of the population who are termed hyper responders, eggs, or other sources of dietary cholesterol may lead to a large rise in blood cholesterol.

People with genetic disorders like familial hypercholesterolemia or carriers of the gene variation called APOE4 would need to consider eating eggs in smaller doses.

Eating eggs is a great way to increase your high-density lipoprotein. It is said that eating 1-3 eggs daily for four weeks increased HDL levels by 6-13% in young healthy adults. People who have high levels of HDL usually have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and other health issues. there are several health benefits of eggs .

3. It contains antioxidants that are great for eyesight: 

There are several nutrients that help counteract some of the degenerative processes that can affect our eyes.

One amazing health benefits of eggs is how it contains antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin. They are powerful antioxidants that accumulate in the retina of the eye. They are helpful to those with poor or failing eyesight.

Egg yolks contain large amounts of both lutein and zeaxanthin. studies have shown that eating 1 egg every day for a span of 5 weeks can increase blood levels of lutien by over 26% and zeaxanthin by 388% in older adults.

Eggs are also very rich in Vitamin A, as is popularly known that a deficiency of vitamin A in the human body can cause blindness

One of the consequences of aging is that eyesight tends to get worse. Studies have shown that consuming certain quantities of these nutrients can significantly reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration which are two very common eye disorders.

It is very important to eat egg meals and infuse more eggs into your diet for better immunity and eyesight. This one stands out as one of the major health benefits of eggs.

4. Rich in protein that helps build body tissues: The health benefits of eggs are very essential. Eggs are rich in amino acids in the right ratios.

Proteins are the main building blocks of the human body. They are used to make all sorts of tissues and molecules that serve both structural and functional purposes. The health benefits of eggs really aid proper bodybuilding, especially for individuals who exercise.

Getting enough protein is important and adopting eggs in your diet can be very important. The health benefits of eggs show that eggs are an excellent protein source with a single egg containing six grams of it.

Eggs contain all essential amino acids in the right ratios, so your body is well equipped to make full use of the protein in them. Eggs are fairly high in quality animal protein and contain all the essential amino acids that the human body needs.

5. It helps with Sperm Production: Another health benefit of Eggs iS that it aids sperm production and increases sperm count. Eggs are rich in Vitamin E and protein, which help in the motility of the sperm. Consuming eggs protects the sperm from free radicals, thereby doubling the chances of fertilization. Eggs are also a rich source of zinc, which is known for sperm motility. Eggs can be consumed in diverse ways to sperm count.

Does Egg help with weight gain?

Yes! You guessed right, eggs can help with weight gain as it contains a high level of protein which helps with bodybuilding, muscle building, and tissue building. Eggs score high on a scale called the satiety index. It has a lot of calories and if implemented into your diet will go a long way in helping with weight gain. This is also one f the major health benefits of eggs as it allows you to gain weight in a healthy way as long as the proportion quantity infused is within the healthy scale. It is said that most people who suffer from anorexia are encouraged to eat more eggs to help them regain lost weight.

Do Eggs cause Heart Disease?

Over time eggs have been considered unhealthy because it contains cholesterol. A large egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol, which is lot a compared to most foods. 

However many studies have shown that the dietary cholesterol in eggs does not adversely affect cholesterol levels in the blood. These are some of the health benefits of eggs that are not duly recognized due to wild assumptions and assertions.

Eggs in actual fact improve your high-density lipoprotein and changes the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol from small and dense to large, which is benign. so it is safe to say that the health benefits of eggs go as far as helping prevent diseases and boosting the immune system of the human body.

Analysis of the studies on egg consumption has shown no connection between eggs and either heart disease or stroke in otherwise healthy people. these are also some health benefits of eggs that are not talked about enough.

The health benefits of eggs outweigh the bad effects of eggs on the human body, however, over time people have thought that eggs are more deadly than healthy because most people who have diseases that are triggered by high cholesterol did not watch their intake of items with high cholesterol.

There are several health benefits of eggs, a lot of which were not referred to in today’s article such as its other nutritional components that help with bones and mineralizing the teeth.

The health benefits of Eggs cannot be overemphasized as it has numerous nutritional components which are necessary for human growth and development. It is advisable to incorporate eggs into your weekly meal plan for a healthier diet which helps improve the general functioning of the human body and also boosts the immunity of the individual. We hope you found this article useful.