Five reasons to include eggs in your daily diet

2023-10-06 23:38:41

From October 9 to 13, World Egg Week is celebrated and for this framework, the Argentine Chamber of Poultry Producers (CAPIA) prepared a report that highlights the five keys why it is advisable to include eggs in your daily diet, as recommended in their messages by the Food Guides. for the Argentine Population.

According to CAPIA, Argentines consume 322 eggs per capita and that figure allowed the country to climb two positions in the world ranking to third place, behind Mexico (1) and Japan (2).

The production park of layers is made up of 51.62 million birds and in December 2022 and, before the arrival of avian influenza, it registered growth versus 2021 of the order of 8.46% (4.12 million more compared to December 2021).

According to CAPIA, in 2022, 15.29 million units were produced in Argentina, of which 14.6 million were destined for domestic consumption. This means that of the total units produced, 96.8% are destined for the country, and the remaining 3.2% for the foreign market.

Eggs provide animal protein with the lowest environmental impact

“Eggs are the regional economy that achieves the highest added value per ton exported. The poultry industry consumes 1,500,000 tons of corn and 500,000 tons of soybeans per year and It generates genuine employment for 18,000 people directly and 12,000 indirectly. The Argentine egg in its different variants is a product with a strong presence in the world, with more than 50 open international markets,” the entity maintains.

Argentina has more than 1,000 active poultry farms. The establishments are located in 18 provinces of the country, the most important being Buenos Aires with 40%, Entre Ríos with 27%, Córdoba with 9%, Mendoza with 5% and Salta with 4.5%, among the main.

According to the CAPIA report, the five key reasons why it is advisable to include eggs in your daily diet are:

Nutrient density and protein power

The most important thing to consider when selecting the foods we consume is nutrient density because these characteristics have the ability to directly improve human nutrition outcomes. As a widely consumed animal food, the egg is praised for its important nutritional benefits, particularly in terms of human development and growth.

Its consumption is essential in the babies, young people and pregnant women, as well as in low-resource environments. Egg proteins contain the 9 essential amino acids for the body and the best utilization score. Protein quality exceeds 100% for eggs, compared to rice at 37% and wheat at 45%.

“Eggs contain the cheapest and healthiest animal protein”

Proteins are essential for health, since in addition to forming the body’s muscle mass, they are part of the blood, hormones and antibodies. Protein deficiency can lead to sarcopenia and malnutrition. An average of two eggs provides enough protein to cover more than 30% of the recommended protein intakes (RI) of an adult.

Immune system

Vitamin D supports the normal functioning of the immune system, which is the body’s first line of defense against infections and diseases. Besides vitamin D is essential for bone health, and long-term deficiencies can have a detrimental impact on bone health in both children and adults, while also affecting immune system function. It is known that the best source of vitamin D is sunlight, however, in recent years studies have found that even in places with sunny climates, people may have insufficient levels of vitamin D.

The lifestyle changes and isolations required in the pandemic (including spending more time indoors), as well as sun avoidance and protection to reduce the likelihood of developing skin cancers, and pollution levels, can affect the level of vitamin D that the body is capable of synthesizing. Therefore, consuming foods that naturally contain vitamin D, such as eggs, can contribute to the intake of adequate levels of the vitamin.An average serving of 2 eggs contains 8.2 mcg of vitamin D, a substantial contribution to achieve the intake of adequate levels of this vital vitamin.

vegetarian diets

Eggs are also a natural source of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 contributes to the formation of red blood cells and normal energy metabolism, but many children and adults do not consume enough. Vitamin B12 is only present naturally in foods of animal origin or those that have been fortified. This makes eggs highly valuable in vegetarian diets, as they provide vitamin B12, which is often low in such eating styles. Eggs are an excellent source of vitamin B12, since just 1 provides 20% of the daily recommendations for this nutrient.

Nutrition in the first 1,000 days

Choline plays a vital role in brain health throughout our lives, but is especially important for pregnant and breastfeeding women. It collaborates with the baby’s brain and spinal cord so that they develop properly, helping to prevent birth defects. Recent research shows that adequate choline consumption during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy can improve levels of brain function in babies and have lasting benefits on brain development and health.

The egg is a food source of choline and very good bioavailability. Consuming 2 eggs daily covers 50% of the recommendations during pregnancy. Eggs provide a particular potential benefit to boost development during the first 1000 days. Eggs are one of the most important sources of nutrients that are commonly lacking, so their consumption contributes to nutrition in the first 1000 days to achieve optimal nutrition for the baby, which influences their future health and well-being by supporting the immune system and brain development. childish.

Sports performance

The diet of athletes and physically active people must not only allow them to achieve maximum physical performance but also guarantee a correct nutritional situation in the present and in future stages of their life.. The most active people have higher nutritional requirements, and incorporating high nutritional density foods, such as eggs, into your diet is convenient.

An average of 2 eggs cover more than 15% of the IR of vitamin A, E, B2, niacin, iron, zinc and selenium, and more than 30% of the IR of vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, choline and phosphorus of adults between 20 and 49 years old.

LM