Why are eggs better than meat for protein supplement? Nutritionist Lin Minhua: 3 reasons you must know

Protein is the raw material that makes up our muscles and organs. It can repair and build our body tissues and even participate in the functions of many immune and metabolic-related enzymes. It is an essential nutrient. Protein can enhance vitality and is an essential nutrient for fitness enthusiasts to build body shapes. According to the latest edition of the "Daily Dietary Guidelines" of the National Health Administration in 2018, it was discussed and suggested to change the order of eggs as protein foods in our country's dietary guidelines from the original "beans, fish, meat, and eggs" to "beans, fish, eggs, and meat." Putting eggs before meat does it mean that eggs are 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.

Why are eggs better than meat for protein supplement?

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

The protein utilization rate of eggs is 94, and 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 schoolchildren and the elderly.

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.

2. The American diet recommends removing restrictions on cholesterol-containing foods:

In the past, many people were worried about eating too many eggs and the cholesterol in the egg yolks, which would increase the risk of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease. However, in early 2016, the United States announced in its newly released dietary guidelines that it would remove the upper limit on food cholesterol intake, citing scientific research that had failed to prove that food cholesterol would increase cholesterol levels in the 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 can 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, red meat has a high proportion of saturated fatty acids, which is not only likely to harm cardiovascular health, but is also listed 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 developing colorectal cancer by 17%. 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.

Chinese people generally like to eat meat, especially red meat dishes such as pork chop, sausage, and bacon, but the proportion of saturated fatty acids in red meat is relatively high, which can easily harm cardiovascular health.

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."

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.

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.