. Incredibly nutritious
Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet.
A whole egg contains all the nutrients required to turn a single cell into a baby chicken.
A single large boiled egg contains (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source):
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
This comes with 78 calories, 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat.
Eggs also contain various trace nutrients that are important for health.
In fact, eggs are pretty much the perfect food. They contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need.
If you can get your hands on pastured or omega-3 enriched eggs, these are even more nutrient dense. They contain higher amounts of omega-3 fat and are much higher in vitamin A and E (2, 3).
2. High in cholesterol, but don’t adversely affect blood cholesterol
It is true that eggs are high in cholesterol. In fact, a single egg contains 186 mg (1Trusted Source).
However, it’s important to keep in mind that cholesterol in the diet may not necessarily have an impact on blood cholesterol levels or risk of heart disease (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
The liver actually produces large amounts of cholesterol every single day. In fact, when you eat more cholesterol, your liver has the ability to regulate cholesterol levels by producing less to even it out (5Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
Nevertheless, the response to eating eggs varies between individuals (8Trusted Source):
In 70% of people, eating cholesterol may not raise blood cholesterol or only mildly raise it (termed “hypo responders”)
In the other 30% of the population (termed “hyper responders”), eggs or other sources of dietary cholesterol may lead to a large rise in blood cholesterol
However, people with genetic disorders like familial hypercholesterolemia or carriers of a gene variant called APOE4 may want to consider eating eggs in moderation.
3. Raise HDL (the “good”) cholesterol
HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. It is often known as the “good” cholesterol (9Trusted Source).
People who have higher levels of HDL usually have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and other health problems (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).
Eating eggs is a great way to increase HDL. In one study, eating 1-3 eggs daily for four weeks increased HDL levels by 6-13% in young, healthy adults (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
4. Contain choline — an important nutrient that most people don’t get enough of
Choline is a nutrient that most people don’t even know exists, yet it is an incredibly important substance and is often grouped with the B vitamins.
Choline is used to build cell membranes and has a role in producing signaling molecules in the brain, along with various other functions (16Trusted Source).
The symptoms of choline deficiency are serious, so fortunately it’s rare in most healthy, non-pregnant people, mainly because the body makes choline.
Whole eggs are an excellent source of choline. A single egg contains more than 100 mg of this very important nutrient.
5. Are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease
LDL cholesterol is generally known as the “bad” cholesterol.
It is well known that having high levels of LDL is linked to an increased risk of heart disease (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
But many people don’t realize that LDL is divided into subtypes based on the size of the particles.
There are small, dense LDL particles and large LDL particles.
Many studies have shown that people who have predominantly small, dense LDL particles have a higher risk of heart disease than people who have mostly large LDL particles (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).
Even if eggs tend to mildly raise LDL cholesterol in some people, it is thought that eating eggs tend to mainly increase large (or “more buoyant”) LDL levels instead of the small, dense LDL particles, which may explain the association with reduced risk of heart disease (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).
However, some recent studies have found egg consumption to be linked with increased risk of death from heart disease, so the research is mixed and more randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm benefits of egg consumption to heart health (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).
6. Contain lutein and zeaxanthin — antioxidants that have major benefits for eye health
One of the consequences of aging is that eyesight tends to get worse.
There are several nutrients that help counteract some of the degenerative processes that can affect our eyes.
Two of these are called lutein and zeaxanthin. They are powerful antioxidants that accumulate in the retina of the eye (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).
Studies show that consuming adequate amounts of these nutrients can significantly reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, two very common eye disorders (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).
Egg yolks contain large amounts of both lutein and zeaxanthin.
In one older study, eating 1 egg daily for 5 weeks increased blood levels of lutein by 26% and zeaxanthin by 38% in older adults (30Trusted Source).
Eggs are also high in vitamin A, which deserves another mention here. Vitamin A deficiency is the most common cause of blindness in the world (31
Trusted Source).
7. Omega-3 or pastured eggs lower triglycerides
Not all eggs are created equal. Their nutrient composition varies depending on how the hens were fed and raised.
Eggs from hens that were raised on pasture and/or fed omega-3 enriched feeds tend to be much higher in omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce blood levels of triglycerides, a well known risk factor for heart disease (32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).
Studies show that consuming omega-3 enriched eggs is a very effective way to lower blood triglycerides. In one older study, eating just five omega-3 enriched eggs per week for three weeks reduced triglycerides by 16–18% (34Trusted Source).
More recently, a small 2020 study of 20 participants found eating 2 omega-3 enriched eggs daily for five weeks reduced triglycerides by 10% (35Trusted Source).
8. High in quality protein, with all the essential amino acids in the right ratios
Proteins are the main building blocks of the human body.
They’re used to make all sorts of tissues and molecules that serve both structural and functional purposes.
Getting enough protein in the diet is very important and studies show that currently recommended amounts may be too low (36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).
Eggs are an excellent source of protein, with a single large egg containing six grams of it.
Eggs also contain all the essential amino acids in the right ratios, so your body is well-equipped to make full use of the protein in them.
Eating enough protein can help with weight loss, increase muscle mass, lower blood pressure and optimize bone health, to name a few (38Trusted Source, 39Trusted Source, 40Trusted Source, 41Trusted Source).
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