A new report has confirmed the role of eggs in boosting protein, vitamin and mineral intakes during childhood.
The report, published in healthcare periodical Network Health Digest, reviewed studies finding that adding eggs to the diet supported growth, prevented stunting, and improved protein levels in children.
In one study in Ecuador, infants were 47% less likely to be stunted and 74% less likely to be underweight when they added one egg a day to their usual diet.
Despite an egg containing fewer than 70 calories, the quality of the protein is high.
This means that an egg provides all the essential amino acids and protein building blocks needed for the human body to grow and develop.
Author and nutrition student, Amy Smith said that eggs add nutritional value to diets.
“Childhood is a time when the diet needs to be as nutrient-dense as possible without delivering excess calories, fat and sugar which, especially in developed countries, can increase the risk of obesity,” Ms Smith said.
“Foods like eggs, which are high in protein, B vitamins, vitamin D and minerals, are therefore an excellent choice. They also have the benefit of storing well and are simple to cook.”
The Food Standards Agency changed its advice on eggs in October 2017, confirming that British Lion eggs are safe to be eaten runny, and even raw, by vulnerable groups such as infants and children.
The survey findings coincide with a new research review which investigates the role eggs play in the diet, concluding that their unique combination of high quality protein and 18 vitamins and minerals means they should be termed ‘nature's multivitamin’.
