To supplement protein, eat eggs first and then meat! 3 reasons you must know

Protein can enhance vitality and is an essential nutrient for fitness enthusiasts to build body shapes. The National Health Administration recently announced the "Draft Revision of the National Nutrition Standards," proposing to change the recommended sources of daily protein intake from the current "beans, fish, meat, and eggs" to "beans, fish, eggs, and meat," moving eggs above meat. Are eggs more nutritious than meat?

Soybeans, fish, eggs and meat are all high-quality protein foods. When formulating the national daily dietary guidelines, the government will comprehensively refer to factors such as the survey report on changes in the national nutritional health status, common diseases among the people, dietary patterns and habits, and international research results, and then recommend priorities for intake. The government will review the guidelines every few years to assess whether adjustments are necessary. The "Draft Revision of National Nutrition Standards" announced by the National Health Administration this time is part of this process.

Why are eggs better than meat for protein supplement?

So, why does the draft of this announcement put "eggs" before "meat"? Lin Minhua, director of the nutrition department at Yunlin Christian Hospital, analyzed that there are three main reasons:

1. Biological value (BV) and net protein utilization (NPU): Although the definitions of these two indicators are different, they are both methods of evaluating the nutritional value of protein. The higher the value, the better it is for the human body. The biological value of eggs is 94, while that of beef is 74; the protein utilization rate of eggs is 94, while that of beef is 73, which is enough to show that eating eggs can replenish protein more quickly than eating meat, and is more suitable for consumption by schoolchildren and the elderly. In addition, "price" is also a major advantage of eggs.

The dietary guidelines released by the United States in 2016 removed the upper limit on food cholesterol intake, which is equivalent to breaking the curse of "eating too many eggs will cause excessive cholesterol."

2. The U.S. dietary recommendations remove the limit on cholesterol food intake: In the past, many people worried about eating too many eggs and the cholesterol in the egg yolks, which would increase the risk of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease. However, since early 2016, the United States has announced in its newly released dietary guidelines that it will remove the upper limit on food cholesterol intake, citing scientific research that has failed to prove that food cholesterol will increase cholesterol levels in human blood. This is equivalent to lifting the curse of "eating too many eggs will cause cholesterol to exceed the standard."

3. Eating too much red meat will cause saturated fatty acids to harm your health: Chinese people generally love to eat meat, especially red meat dishes such as pork chop, sausage, and bacon. However, the proportion of saturated fatty acids in red meat is relatively high, which is not only likely to harm cardiovascular health, but is also classified as a Class 2A "possible carcinogen" by the World Health Organization. Eating an average of 50 grams of red meat per day will increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 17% in the future. Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in Chinese people. Therefore, it does make sense to adjust the order of meat intake to a later time. The US government recommends that daily saturated fat intake should not exceed 10% of total calories.

Keeping beans and fish in the first and second order is the key to preventing cancer

As for why beans and fish are the first two options when it comes to protein food intake, whether it is the currently used "beans, fish, meat and eggs" or the "beans, fish, eggs and meat" that is still under discussion? Nutritionist Lin Minhua analyzed the reasons. Cancer is the leading cause of death in China. Research in recent years has found that soy foods have anti-cancer effects. Beans are one of the few plant foods that can provide protein. They contain lecithin, plant sterols, isoflavones, phytochemicals, etc.

Unfortunately, Chinese people ate too little in the past, so beans were listed as the first dietary choice for Chinese people.

The second-ranked fish is based on similar reasons. Eat more fish, especially deep-sea fish (such as saury, salmon, etc.), which are rich in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can fight inflammation, antioxidants, and delay dementia. However, Chinese people eat red meat more frequently and in greater amounts than fish. The dietary guidelines rank fish at the front, which actually means encouraging people to "eat less meat and more fish."

Soybeans, fish, eggs and meat are all high-quality protein foods.

Pork, beef, and chicken are all meats. Eat them according to your nutritional needs.

Nutritionist Lin Minhua supports the order of intake of "beans, fish, eggs and meat", but she also reminded that in addition to paying attention to priorities, it is more important to choose a variety of soy products, fish, poultry, lean meat and seafood, and consume them in a balanced manner without excessive intake.

Especially in the "meat" part, you can choose the appropriate "meat" to eat according to your personal age and physical condition, but avoid fried and over-processed foods. For example, although both are meat, red meat has a higher iron content, so women who are prone to anemia or who are in their growth and development period, pregnant, or breastfeeding should eat more of it. The elderly lose muscle quickly and metabolize slowly, so when eating meat to gain muscle, chicken breast, which is lower in saturated fat, is recommended as a priority.