More evidence to back an egg a day

1. Eating eggs can significantly improve brain health

A growing number of studies are finding that increasing egg intake can improve memory and prevent dementia.

A new study published in the October 2024 issue of Nutrients (Australian nutritional science journal) found that participants who ate one egg a day had a lower risk of dementia than those who ate eggs weekly or monthly.

"Eggs are a nutrient-dense food and a good source of choline, folate, vitamin D, iodine, B vitamins, and high-quality protein," said lead author Precious Igbinigie, a health and well-being researcher at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK. "The protective effect of daily egg consumption against dementia in older adults may be due to the presence of bioactive compounds and other nutrients such as high-quality protein, unsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins."

Eating eggs has benefits for brain health.

2. Eggs may protect against cognitive decline

The study compared two years of health data on the dietary habits of 233 adults with dementia and an equal number without dementia, all from public health clinics and dementia management systems in Guangzhou, China. There were an average of 74 participants and more than 60 percent were women.

When comparing dementia risk, scientists categorized participants' egg-eating habits into groups: none; one egg per month; one egg per week; one egg per day; or two eggs per day or more.

Analysis in the study showed that the fewer eggs a person ate, the higher their risk of developing dementia: Compared with those who ate one egg a day, those who ate eggs weekly had a 1.76 times higher risk of developing dementia, while those who ate one egg a month had a 4 times higher risk of developing dementia.

The findings come just months after a study involving more than 1,000 older adults found that eating more than one egg a week could significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's dementia.

3. Why do eggs help boost brain power?

"Given that eggs are generally excellent nutritional value, the observed association between egg consumption as part of a nutritious diet and lower risk of dementia is not surprising," said Dr. Elizabeth Mills, associate director of the Division of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease at the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (who was not involved in the study).

Dr. Mills emphasized that participants who regularly ate eggs also tended to eat other nutrient-rich foods such as meat, vegetables and fruits.

Eggs contain many nutrients linked to brain health in a form that is easily absorbed and used by the body, which may explain why eggs in particular may reduce the risk of dementia, according to Dr. Mills.

"Eggs are a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids, which are the ones the body cannot produce on its own," explains Dr. Mills. "One of the key brain-building nutrients that is abundant in eggs is choline. It is incorporated into acetylcholine, one of the chemical messengers used to communicate in the brain and is essential for learning and memory."

In the past, doctors warned that eggs could be bad for heart health due to the high cholesterol in egg yolks, which was thought to increase the risk of heart disease. That view has changed dramatically over time, and recent large studies have found that the amount of cholesterol in one egg a day is safe for most people.

Eggs are a complete protein containing all essential amino acids.

More research is still needed on eggs and brain health, as the latest study had several limitations: The number of participants was relatively small and limited to one geographic area, while the dietary information was based on participants' memories, which is not highly reliable.

Additionally, some results do not support the finding that higher egg consumption is associated with lower rates of dementia, so more research is needed to determine how many eggs a person should eat to get the most cognitive benefits.

"As a nutrient-dense complete protein, eggs can be part of a brain-healthy diet when combined with other brain-healthy foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains," recommends Dr. Mills.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/them-bang-chung-nen-an-moi-ngay-mot-qua-trung-172241010160250147.htm