If you eat more than this amount of eggs per week, your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure will actually decrease!

Eggs are probably one of the most common foods in our daily diet. Fried eggs, steamed egg custard, egg fried rice, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, scrambled eggs with green peppers, scrambled shrimps with eggs, etc. are all delicious dishes made with eggs. Many studies have shown the benefits of eating eggs for the body. (Click here to learn more → What changes will occur in the body if you eat 1 egg a day? Will it increase blood lipids? Will it increase cholesterol intake?) Recently, another new study #Eating 5 eggs a week reduces the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure# has become a hot topic! Is this true? Let's take a closer look today~

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Eat 5 eggs per week

Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure

Recently, the international journal "Nutrition" published a latest research result of a research team from Boston University in the United States. The study showed that after consuming at least 5 eggs per week, the risk of type 2 diabetes and hypertension can be reduced by 28% and 32% respectively! And if it can be combined with other healthy eating patterns, the health benefits of consuming eggs will be more obvious. The study included 2,349 participants, who were divided into three groups according to their different weekly egg intake: the first group consumed less than 0.5 eggs per week, the second group consumed 0.5 to less than 5 eggs per week, and the third group consumed more than or equal to 5 eggs per week. After adjusting for variables such as gender, BMI, dietary cholesterol intake, and baseline fasting blood sugar, the study found that the average fasting blood sugar concentration of the third group of participants was 3.7 mg/dL lower than that of the first group of participants, and the risk of impaired fasting blood sugar or type 2 diabetes was significantly reduced by 28%, and the risk of hypertension was also reduced by 32%. The third group of participants ensured that they consumed more than or equal to 5 eggs per week, and if they also followed other healthy dietary patterns, such as increasing the intake of dietary fiber, fish and whole grains, their risk of impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes would continue to decrease by 26% to 29%; on this basis, if they also ensured the intake of dairy products, fruits and vegetables, their hypertension prevalence would continue to decrease by 25% to 41%. The benefits to health are cumulative!

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It seems that eating eggs has many benefits! The Chinese Nutrition Society also recommended in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)" that adults should consume 40g~50g of eggs per day, which is equivalent to one egg per day. However, many people's egg intake does not meet this recommended intake. If you are not a person who eats eggs very often, it is strongly recommended that you increase your intake! As for how many eggs special groups (such as obese people, people with high blood lipids, pregnant women, etc.) should eat a day, you can click here to learn more → (I really want to ask: How many eggs are the healthiest to eat a day?)

Eggs are an ideal nutritionally complete food

A small egg is very light in the hand, but it is a very comprehensive nutritious food. From a nutritional point of view, eggs contain almost all the necessary nutrients, including protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. This comprehensive nutritional value makes eggs an ideal natural food for the human body. First of all, eggs are rich in high-quality protein. We know that protein is an indispensable cornerstone of life activities and is very important for growth and development, wound healing, immune function and other aspects. The difference between high-quality protein and non-high-quality protein lies mainly in the composition and proportion of its amino acids, as well as the degree of absorption and utilization by the human body. The protein in eggs is not only rich in content, but also of high quality. It contains a variety of essential amino acids, and the proportion meets the needs of the human body, which is easy to be absorbed and utilized by the human body. Therefore, egg protein is a high-quality protein for the human body. Secondly, eggs contain a variety of essential vitamins and minerals for the human body, such as vitamin A, D, E and B vitamins, which are essential for maintaining normal physiological functions of the human body. Eggs are also a good source of minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, etc. These minerals play an important role in bone health, nervous system function and other aspects. At the same time, eggs are also rich in antioxidants, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect eye health. In addition, eggs also contain a certain amount of fat, which is mainly concentrated in the yolk. These fats are mainly monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to cardiovascular health.

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In general, eggs, as a comprehensive nutritious food, contain almost all the necessary nutrients and can meet the needs of the human body in terms of growth, development, metabolism, etc. Compared with other foods, the advantage of eggs is their high nutritional density, that is, the nutritional value per unit weight is relatively high. Therefore, a reasonable combination of eggs in the diet can provide us with comprehensive and balanced nutrition.

How to eat eggs

Maximizing nutritional value?

First of all, we must ensure adequate intake. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)" recommends that adults should consume 40g~50g of eggs per day, which is equivalent to one egg per day. As a cheap, easy-to-buy, and simple high-quality ingredient, it is not difficult to achieve this intake even for people who don’t have time or can’t cook. Secondly, we must choose healthy cooking methods. To make eggs a healthy food, we need to consider how to maximize the nutrients in eggs while avoiding overcooking or overprocessing. Cooking methods such as boiling, steaming, and stewing are healthier than frying and deep-frying, and can reduce the intake of fat and calories. Finally, it is recommended to combine eggs with other healthy eating patterns. For example, eat them with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dietary fiber, fish, etc. to get more comprehensive nutrition. Here are a few recipes recommended:

Tomato and Mushroom Scrambled Eggs:

Ingredients: tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, salt, oil.

Method: Chop tomatoes and mushrooms and set aside. Add oil to a frying pan, pour the beaten eggs into the pan, fry until half cooked, then add tomatoes and mushrooms and continue frying. Finally, add appropriate amount of salt to taste.

Sweet potato oatmeal egg porridge:

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, oatmeal, milk, eggs.

Method: Wash the sweet potatoes, cut them into small pieces, cook them, add them to oatmeal and milk, then pour in egg liquid and cook until thick.

Codfish and Spinach Steamed Custard:

Ingredients: cod, spinach, eggs, milk, salt.

Method: Cut cod and spinach into small pieces and set aside. Beat eggs in a bowl, add appropriate amount of milk and salt for seasoning. Put salmon pieces and spinach pieces in a bowl, pour in egg liquid, and steam in a steamer until cooked.

Purple Cabbage Apple Egg Salad:

Ingredients: purple cabbage, apples, eggs, oil, salt, vinegar.

Method: Wash and cut the purple cabbage into thin strips and cut the apple into cubes. Boil the eggs and cut them into small cubes. Add the purple cabbage strips, apple cubes, egg cubes, and appropriate amount of oil, salt and vinegar to a bowl and stir well.

These recipes combine eggs with dietary fiber, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, fish and other healthy ingredients, using healthy cooking methods and providing rich nutritional value. You can adjust them according to your taste and needs, and try making them~

References

[1] Mott MM, Zhou X, Bradlee ML, Singer MR, Yiannakou I, Moore LL. Egg Intake Is Associated with Lower Risks of Impaired Fasting Glucose and High Blood Pressure in Framingham Offspring Study Adults. Nutrients. 2023;15(3):507. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030507 [2] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022). Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House.

Planning and production

This article is a work of Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project

Produced by: Science Popularization Department of China Association for Science and Technology

Producer｜China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Author: Zeng Xinyue, popular science creator

Review | Zhong Kai, Researcher at the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center