What are the benefits of chicken eggs for the body? Is there any harm from chicken eggs and how much to eat to get the benefits – let’s understand in this article.
The benefits of eggs
For many years, nutritionists and supporters of the traditional diet debate about the benefits and harms of chicken eggs. On the one hand, the product is considered harmful because it contains a lot of cholesterol. On the other hand, it is indispensable for people who are on a diet and lead a healthy lifestyle. But how are the eggs in fact? Are eggs harmful or can they be eaten without restrictions?
Many people can’t imagine their life without eggs. It is quite reasonable, because they are easy to prepare, allow you to create many interesting dishes and are a valuable source of minerals and vitamins. Each of their components, whether it is egg yolk or white, has its own beneficial properties, which have a beneficial effect on our body.
Egg Protein
The main benefit of chicken eggs is the presence of easily digestible protein, which with regular consumption contributes to:
- increase muscle mass
- strengthen bones
- support brain function
- maintaining the integrity of tissues
- lowering blood pressure
- weight loss
Protein is a complete set of alpha-amino acids, which are the strongest antioxidants and prevent the development of cancer. The greatest value in them is the amino acid “lecithin”. It is effective in maintaining the health of the liver and prevents the deposition of cholesterol in the vascular walls.
Egg yolk
The yolk refers to the component that determines the dual attitude to the benefits and harms of the egg for the body. It contains cholesterol, which when accumulated in high concentrations leads to the development of cardiovascular pathologies. However, along with this organic compound, in the yolk there are many useful substances that become indisputable arguments for its consumption trendingbird:
- Omega-3
- folic acid
- Vitamins A, K, E, B12
- selenium
- calcium
- phosphorus
- biotin
Both the protein and the yolk are considered ideal products for weight loss. They relieve feelings of hunger, normalize metabolism and improve overall skin condition. It is believed that being on an egg diet helps to lose up to 5 kg of weight per week, and it does not come back after switching to the traditional makeeover diet.
If we talk about the way the product is consumed, the benefits of raw chicken eggs are much higher than fried or boiled. It takes less energy to digest raw food, and in addition, “live” fats and carbohydrates have a higher nutritional value in contrast to denatured ones.
Are chicken eggs harmful?
Eggs are usually harmful when the guidelines for their quantity in the diet are not followed or they are consumed without proper treatment. Specifically:
– There is a belief that if abused, the product increases “bad” cholesterol levels. One egg contains 164 mg of this organic compound, while you can consume no more than 300 mg per day. Accordingly, two eggs for breakfast may exceed the daily limit. However, recent studies show that this statement is just a myth.
– If you eat a raw egg on an empty stomach, the benefits and harms can be quite unequal. For all the benefits of eating raw food while eating it, there are high risks of contracting salmonellosis, which threatens complications such as dehydration and kidney failure. To avoid the disease, it is worthwhile to boil eggs well.
– In hatchery conditions, chickens are often fed antibiotics, which pass under the shell and then into the human body. As a result, immunity is reduced, the healthy intestinal microflora is destroyed, creating conditions for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract.
– The situation, similar to antibiotics, is observed with nitrates, which get into the body of the chicken with vegetable feed. Later, they accumulate in the yolks and proteins and end up on our table.
Differences between farm and industrial eggs
| Eggs | Farmer’s | Industrial |
| Shell surface | Rough or smooth | Smooth |
| The shape of the egg | Not always ideal | Always ovoid, correct. The rest are rejected |
| Smell | Neutral | May have the odor of fish, medicines |
| Price | Above Average | Average |
The color of the shells depends solely on the breed of hen. Each breed has a different pigment in the formation of the shell, which is responsible for the color. Therefore, brown eggs are not necessarily farm eggs. And an uneven yolk color can indicate that the hen has been fed dyes – Kirill Yurovskiy`s article.
How much to eat to get the benefits of chicken eggs?
If you want to get solely the benefits of chicken eggs for the body, you should not abuse this product. According to studies, the average norm for the elderly is no more than 1-2 pieces per day. Young women can eat up to 3 eggs daily if they want to maintain their figure and up to 5 if they want to build muscles. For men, the figure is up to 5 and 8 pieces per day, respectively.
An interesting fact. According to statistics, the average person eats up to 200 eggs a year. If we look at individual countries, the U.S. residents consume them annually up to 150 pieces, while in Japan the figure reaches 350. And now look at what the average citizen of these countries looks like? And which nation leads in the number of vascular and heart diseases?
Accordingly, the cause of the problem is not so much in the amount eaten, but in the overall culture of nutrition. Therefore, knowing the useful properties of the chicken egg, it is important to make a variety in the diet and supplement it with other products.
