Eggs For Health: Benefits And Who Should Avoid

An egg a day can keep the doctor away! It is rightly said that if you consume one egg every day it can actually help you to maintain your health. Eggs are a complete protein which means it contains all the essential amino acids that our body cannot produce. Apart from being rich in protein, it is also a storehouse of various vitamins and minerals which makes it a super-food.

Most of the time people get confused to decide which part of the egg is beneficial for health whether it is yolk, egg white or whole egg. Each part of the egg has its own nutritional value.

Benefits of consuming whole eggs:

• High quality protein: A medium sized egg has about 6-7 gms protein, the protein present in the egg is of high bio-availability, meaning that a large amount of protein gets absorbed in the body instead of getting wasted.
• Good for the eyes: As a whole egg contains a fairly good amount of retinol, lutein and zeaxanthin, it helps in improving and maintaining the eye sight, it also reduces the risk of cataract and macular degeneration.
• Support bones: Egg is a good source of vitamin D. Vitamin D along with calcium and phosphorus is essential for maintaining bone health.
• Great for skin: Eggs are great for skin not only because they are rich in protein but also because the are rich in Vitamin E which helps in keeping the skin healthy and glowing.
• Improves immunity and metabolism : Eggs are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, specially conjugated linoleic acid that plays an important role in improving immunity and metabolism, it also aids in weight management.
• Controls Hair fall: One of the few sources of biotin is the egg. Biotin is essentially important for the management of hair health as it is responsible for binding hair to the scalp.
• Weight management: Eggs have a high score on the satiety index as they tend to keep us full and satisfied for longer, also they are low in calories, making it a great option for breakfast.

One should avoid eggs entirely in case of allergy. Also, the debate to consume egg whites or the yolk continues.

Following are a few conditions where one should avoid egg whites and yolks:

Avoid egg whites in:

• Allergies: A lot of people have albumin allergy which can cause symptoms such as rashes, coughing, wheezing and in some cases even breathing difficulties and dropped blood pressure.
• Hair fall: If you have a problem of hair fall make sure you must eat the whole egg, as when you consume only egg whites they work as biotin inhibitor which can increase hair fall.
• Impaired kidney function: If you have a low glomerular filtration rate or a high creatinine level, it is best advised to avoid egg whites as they have a high bio-availability and might be too much for the kidney,
• Constipation: If you face problem clearing up your stomach avoid consuming only egg whites as the high protein and no fiber combination will only make your stools hard and aggravate constipation.

Avoid egg yolk in:

• Heart diseases: Even though yolks are a storehouse of various nutrient, it does contain cholesterol, consuming 1-2 eggs a day won’t raise your cholesterol but excessive consumption of egg yolks can add to the risk of high cholesterol.
• Acidity: If you face digestive issues such as acidity and gastritis, it is recommended to avoid egg yolks as the high-fat content in yolk makes it difficult to digest and can increase acidity and gastritis.

So consume eggs in a moderation and watch your health shine!