"The incredible edible egg" slogan from the American Egg Board implies that eggs are incredible because they are nutrient dense and have 13 essential nutrients. Choline, a noteworthy nutrient found in egg yolks, is gaining popularity for its benefits. Soy lecithin is also sold as a choline supplement. Since lecithin is naturally found in egg yolks, think twice before you toss the yellow part out when making your egg-white omelet.
Supplements are not meant to address diseases or health problems. Contact your physician before taking any nutritional supplement.
Choline Benefits
Choline deficiency is detrimental for your liver. Choline is important for neurotransmitter function, cell membranes, liver function and lipid metabolism. A recent study published in the September 2009 issue of "Epidemiology" found that choline is beneficial during pregnancy and showed positive correlation to prevention of neural tube defects.
The Yellow Part
For individuals who are trying to eat a heart-healthy diet, the American Heart Association recommends using egg whites as a substitute for whole eggs. Egg whites are a good source of protein and contain no fat. For individuals who are watching their cholesterol, the yolks have approximately 213 mg of cholesterol. But egg yolks contain more than just cholesterol. Egg yolks have fat soluble vitamins A, D and E, phosphorus, maganese, iron, iodine, copper, calcium and zinc, in addition to the choline.
Choline Recommendations
An egg yolk contains about 113 mg of choline. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends an adequate choline intake per day of 425 mg for women and 525 mg for men, aged 19 years and older. The recommended adequate intake increases to 450 mg during pregnancy and 550 mg during lactation. If you are trying to stay heart healthy by avoiding egg yolks, you should explore other dietary options since you would have to eat more than an egg every day to meet your choline needs.
Meeting Your Daily Needs
The American Heart Association recommends to limit your consumption of dietary cholesterol to no more than 300 mg per day. Since the yellow part of the egg has 213 mg of cholesterol, eat only one per day, and watch for dietary cholesterol in other foods such as dairy, meat and baked goods. To stay heart healthy and meet your choline needs, supplement with one tablespoon of lecithin granules, which contains about 250 mg of choline. Include other foods in your diet, such as chicken, cod, salmon, low fat milk, tofu, kidney beans, cauliflower, spinach, grapefruit, brown rice and almonds. These foods are heart healthy and contain choline.
References
- "Epidemiology"; Choline and Risk of Neural Tube Defects in a Folate-fortified Population; Gary Shaw, et al.; Sept 2009
- American Heart Association: Common Misconceptions About Cholesterol
- I Want My Vitamins: What is Lecithin?
- Incredible Edible Egg: Egg Nutrients
- Linus Pauling Institute: Micronutrient Information Center
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