Egg Nutrition Center

Nutrients In Eggs

Eggs are a nutrient goldmine!

One large egg has varying amounts of 13 essential vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein, all for 70 calories.

While egg whites contain some of the eggs’ high-quality protein, riboflavin and selenium, the majority of an egg’s nutrient package is found in the yolk. Nutrients such as:

  • Vitamin D, critical for bone health and immune function. Eggs are one of the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D.
  • Choline, essential for normal functioning of all cells, but particularly important during pregnancy to support healthy brain development of the fetus.
  • Lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that are believed to reduce the risk of developing cataracts and slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration, a disease that develops with age.

Eggs, Vitamin D and Diabetes

  - In Category:

Vitamin D plays a number of critical roles in the body. It is essential for calcium absorption and regulation, bone growth and repair, and neuromuscular and immune function, to name a few. In recent years, new research has favorably linked vitamin D to several diseases and conditions, from cancer to obesity. This continues to be an area of active investigation. Continue reading “Eggs, Vitamin D and Diabetes” →

More Evidence that Eggs Improve Eye Health

  - In Category:

A new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Research and Ophthalmology, looked at the effects of eating 12 eggs per week on aspects of vision among people with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a leading cause of blindness in the United States and affects over 10 million people. In this study, researchers saw significant improvements in a measure of macular function and retinal health. Continue reading “More Evidence that Eggs Improve Eye Health” →

Foods and My Baby: Perspectives from a Pregnant Mom

  - In Category:

Featured article in the Fall 2017 Issue of Nutrition Close-Up; written by Rachel Bassler, RDN, CSSD, LDN

Most pregnant women are bombarded with health and nutrition information via handouts from their doctor, advice from friends and family, or pregnancy smartphone apps (confession: I have three). Many times, information is geared towards what foods to avoid like raw meat, fish with mercury, unpasteurized cheeses and alcohol. While this information is extremely important for the health and safety of both mother and baby, it’s also crucial to focus on foods and nutrients that are beneficial during pregnancy.

Continue reading “Foods and My Baby: Perspectives from a Pregnant Mom” →

Choline Intakes are Driven by Egg Consumption

  - In Category:

Featured article in the September, 2017 Issue of Nutrition Research Update; written by Taylor Wallace, PhD, CFS, FACN, food and nutrition expert, faculty at George Mason University and blogger at www.drtaylorwallace.com.

Did you know that eggs provide the most choline to the U.S. diet?  Each egg yolk contains about 147 mg of choline or about one-fourth of that recommended on the food label.  Our prior research indicated that about 90% of Americans fall short of their choline intake goals. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for this reason identified choline as an under consumed nutrient in the U.S. diet.  Building on our previous work, our recent analysis “Usual Choline Intakes Are Associated with Egg and Protein Food Consumption in the United States” showed that 92% of pregnant women and 99% of teenagers fail to meet intake recommendations for choline.  Continue reading “Choline Intakes are Driven by Egg Consumption” →