By: Donald J. McNamara, Ph.D.
Egg Nutrition Center Washington, DC
The New Egg:
A World of Possibilities
2002: A Change of Heart
Traditional is not always the best way
Image & Expectations
* New and improved
* Bigger and better
* Fortified, enhanced, supplemented
* Scientifically proven to [fill in the blank]
* Good for health, wealth, sex appeal, etc.
Eggs:
A Lifetime of Health Benefits
A New Image For Eggs
The Many Positives
* High quality protein
* Essential vitamins -minerals
* Lutein/zeaxanthin
* Choline
* Satiety, glycemic index
* Health benefits
* Affordability
Fetal Origins HypothesisBarker Hypothesis: Low birth weight associated with chronic diseases (diabetes, obesity, hypertension, CVD) later in life.
Low maternal intakes of dairy and meat protein in late pregnancy associated with lower birth weights
[Godfrey et al. 1996 BMJ 312, 410-4]
"Eggs are good for your eggs" Dr. David Barker, 23 September 2003
Birth Weight & Chd Risk
Nutrition For Children
Protein & Exercise
* Sarcopenia: age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass.
* Need for high quality, low-fat protein for older people.
* High quality protein for muscle growth in response to exercise.
High Protein Diets* Research showing positive results with low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets.
* Acceptance by the scientific community increasing.
* Studies ongoing.
* Millions of books sold promoting high protein diets.
* Word of mouth very influential.
* Difference between high-fat and high-protein.
Eggs & Weight Control
* Low calorie, nutrient dense.
* Satiety, glycemic effects.
* High protein diets and loss of fat vs muscle.
* A major role for eggs in weight loss and in weight maintenance programs.
Protein & Weight Loss
Moderate Protein Diet
* Weight control
* Blood sugar control
* Triglyceride control
* HDL cholesterol levels
* Lower risk of Metabolic Syndrome
Nutrition & Seniors
* Require more protein per kg than younger adults.
* Eggs least expensive source of high quality protein.
* Nutrient dense foods important as caloric intake decreases.
* Eggs are easy to cook, chew, and digest.
Dietary Protein Quality
In elderly women, a high vegetable-protein diet resulted in less net protein synthesis than during a high animal-protein diet.
[Pannemans et al. 1998. Am J Clin Nutr:68:1228-35].
Consumption of a meat-containing diet contributed to greater gains in fat-free mass and skeletal muscle mass with resistance training in older men than did a vegetarian diet.
[Campbell et al. 1999. Am J Clin Nutr:70:1032-9]
Paradigm Shift
* Away from removing negative ingredients (e.g. cholesterol, fat, salt)
* To enhanced with positive ingredients (e.g. antioxidants, vitamins, calcium)
* Define functional eggs by newly recognized and beneficial nutrients.
Rates of Inadequate Intake of Vitamin by Egg Intake
Choline & Fetus / Newborn
* Choline an essential nutrient
- for men 550 mg/day
- for women 425 mg/day
* Increased needs during pregnancy & lactation
* Choline supplements
- increased new neurons
- formation of memory centers
- decreased programmed cell death
- life-long changes in nerve growth factors and calretinin
Choline & Development
Memory Choline Study
Egg Choline
Eggs are an excellent source of dietary choline as well as a nutrient dense, low calorie source of high quality protein essential for fetal and postnatal development.
Functional Foods
* Foods that, by virtue of the presence of physiologically active compounds, provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition.
* Whole foods versus nutraceuticals
* Health claims
* Nutrigenomics and prescription nutrition
Functional Foods
* Carotenoids
* Collagen hydrolysate
* Dietary fiber
* Fatty acids
* Phytochemicals
* Phenols
* Plant sterols
* Soy protein
* Phytoestrogens
* Flavonoids
Specialty Eggs
* Premium, higher quality eggs
* Omega-3 fatty acids enriched eggs
* Lutein enriched eggs
* High vitamin E eggs
* Organic eggs
* Free-range eggs
* Vegetarian eggs
* GMO-free eggs
* Natural eggs
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Lutein/Zeaxanth & Eye Health
Lutein Study (n=10)
Eggs And Cataracts
* Data from the Beaver Dam Eye Study indicated that egg consumption was inversely associated with cataract risk in participants who were younger than 65 when the study started.
* The relative risk of cataracts was 0.4 for people with the highest egg consumption versus a risk of 1.0 for those with the lowest intake.
Lutein & Atherosclerosis
* Lutein as an antioxidant/anti-inflammatory
* IMT progression low in those with high plasma lutein
* High lutein intake decreased atherosclerosis in animal model
* Lutein effects on inflammatory responses
Functional Egg Lutein
Table vs Designer Eggs
Chemical Factory Eggs
Antibody Eggs
* Eggs have been an important source of antibodies for research for many years.
* Immune eggs thought to contain biological compounds which have immunoregulatory and anti-inflammitory properties.
Pet Potential
* Purina Puppy Chow now advertises that it contains egg protein.
* 135 million pets in the US.
* Eggs considered a healthy, positive food for dogs and cats.
* One egg a day at less than $0.10/day for the owner equals 49.275 billion eggs (4.1 B dozen, 137 M cases) and $4.9 billion in sales.
Per Capita Egg Consumption
Egg Products
*Options: increase nutrients by feeding the bird (low incorporation) or adding directly to the egg product (100%).
* Ideal matrix for fat soluble nutrients providing increased bioavailability.
* Potential: vitamins E, D, & K; lecithin, lutein, isoflavones, CLA, etc.
More Good News
* Feeding egg yolks at 6 months of age provides valuabe source of iron for infant.
* Teenage girls who regularly eat eggs are less likely to develop breast cancer later in life.
* Egg intake related to a reduced risk of stroke.
Functional Eggs
* High choline content
* Increase Lutein ¡V zeaxanthin
* Omega-3 fatty acid enriched eggs
* Conjugated linolenic acid [CLA]
* Increase Vitamins E, D and K
* Increase selenium
* Increase B Vitamins
* Satiety, glycemic index
* Antibody production
More Good News To Come!
Egg Promotion:
A Lifetime Of Health Benefits
Eggs 2003:
Nutrition / Function / Value
