Breaking news: Eggs now packed with even more nutrients

Eggs have long been regarded as an excellent source of high-quality “complete” protein, as they contain all of the essential amino acids — dubbed “essential” because our bodies cannot synthesize them and we must get them from our diet.

But eggs are not only a great (and inexpensive!) source of protein; they have a high nutrient density, because they provide a number of nutrients in proportion to their calorie count. One egg has 13 essential vitamins and minerals in varying amounts, high-quality protein and antioxidants, all for just 70 calories.1

Additionally, the enrichment of eggs has made it possible for consumers to get even more nutrition from each egg. Producers have begun increasing key nutrients — like selenium — in layer diets in order to increase the nutrient content of eggs. By increasing the amount of this essential mineral in the layer diet, farmers have the opportunity to naturally increase the nutritional value of the eggs that they produce.

What does this mean for consumers?

Selenium is nutritionally essential for humans — it plays a role in healthy reproduction and metabolism and may help maintain a strong immune system.2-6 Selenium is also being studied for its potential role in reducing both the risk of cardiovascular disease and age-related decline in brain function. 8-10  

Selenium-enriched eggs can help to fill the “nutritional gap” in our diets, delivering this essential nutrient through a food that’s delicious, inexpensive, readily accessible and easy to prepare. 

Sel-Plex® is Alltech's proprietary organic form of selenium yeast and is the first European Union-approved and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-reviewed form of organic selenium. Sel-Plex is supported by more than 19 years of research and is now being used to enrich layer diets.

References:

1.  Egg Nutrition Center of the American Egg Board 2017
2. Sunde RA. Selenium. In: Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ, Tucker KL, Ziegler TR, eds. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2012:225-37
3. Sunde RA. Selenium. In: Bowman B, Russell R, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 9th ed. Washington, DC: International Life Sciences Institute; 2006:480-97
4. Rayman MP. Selenium and human health. Lancet 2012;379:1256-68.
5. Allen NE, Appleby PN, Roddam AW, Tjonneland A, Johnsen NF, Overvad K, et al. Plasma selenium concentration and prostate cancer risk: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Am J Clin Nutr 2008;88:1567-75.
6. Combs GF, Jr and Gray WP. Chemopreventive agents: Selenium. Pharmacol Ther 1998; 79:179-92.
7. Dennert G, Zwahlen M, Brinkman M, Vinceti M, Zeegers MP, Horneber M. Selenium for preventing cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011:CD005195.
8. Rayman MP. Selenium and human health. Lancet 2012;379:1256-68.
9. Akbaraly TN, Hininger-Favier I, Carriere I, Arnaud J, Gourlet V, Roussel AM, et al. Plasma selenium over time and cognitive decline in the elderly. Epidemiology 2007;18:52-8.
10. Shahar A, Patel KV, Semba RD, Bandinelli S, Shahar DR, Ferrucci L, et al. Plasma selenium is positively related to performance in neurological tasks assessing coordination and motor speed. Mov Disord 2010;25:1909-15.