Are Eggs the Perfect Food?
By Chris Brown
When one thinks of the perfect food, they may picture a plain bowl of spinach or a colorful pile of berries and fruit. However, the perfect food for humans may just be closer to the animal kingdom than one may think. Eggs contain an ideal recipe of protein, nutrients, and brain-boosting chemicals that puts it squarely in the running for the perfect food. This makes sense if you consider that eggs contain the building blocks required to grow a few cells into a fully-formed baby chick. The more you look into the egg, the healthier and more perfect it looks for the human body.
Rich Nutrient Makeup
The nutrient makeup of eggs is impressive to say the least. The average egg contains zinc, copper, calcium, iron, manganese, selenium, phosphorus, lutein (for eye health), and potassium as well as a rich makeup of Vitamins A, B, D, E, and K. All of these nutrients are packed in the small, easy-to-consume package of an egg.
Full of "Good" Cholesterol
Eggs may be jam-packed with cholesterol (each egg contains 200 mg, or two-thirds of your recommended daily intake), but cholesterol in eggs does not necessarily translate to high cholesterol levels in the body. In fact, egg consumption increases levels of HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) that reduces the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular issues. Dietitian, Mackenzie McCune of New Jersey's Shore Medical Center states that one would have to consume a massive amount of eggs before its cholesterol became a health concern.
Powerful Protein to Calorie Ratio
Protein is a vital nutrient for building muscle and organs. It is recommended that the average person consume at least 0.36 grams of per pound of body weight and up to one gram per pound if they are trying to build muscle. Every egg contains six grams of protein and only 70 calories. This means that eggs can help you healthily lose weight by cutting calories without cutting the vital nutrients needed to live.
Brain Boosting Potential
Eggs contain all ingredients necessary to form the brain of a baby chick from scratch, and it can do wonders for the human mind as well. One important egg-rich nutrient is choline, a chemical with a key role in molecule communication within the brain. Additionally, the egg's B vitamins and other nutrients all help support healthy brain function.
Keeping the body healthy may be as easy as picking up eggs on your next grocery run. Eggs can help to fill nutrient gaps left by the average American diet and also help you to lose weight in the process. So boost your health with nature's near-perfect food, the egg.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Castro Valley, Calif.