How Eggs Jumpstart Your Brain and Improve Memory

Eggland’s Best Eggs have always been a food favorite of athletes and bodybuilders because they’re an inexpensive source of muscle-building protein. But there’s another reason to love them. Eggs are a good source of choline, a nutrient that plays a role in memory and cognitive function, and one that may ward off the decline in memory function that comes with aging.

Eggs, Choline, and Memory

Most of us forget things once in a while like where we laid the car keys or the name of a casual acquaintance, and the frequency of these minor memory lapses increases with age. This isn’t necessarily a sign of impending Alzheimer’s, but more likely due to “benign forgetfulness,” a condition where your brain is structurally sound but doesn’t process as fast as it should on occasion. People sometimes refer to these minor memory problems as “senior moments.”

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating more choline-rich foods such as eggs could make those senior moments a little less frequent. They used questionnaires to determine how much choline a group of 1,400 middle-aged and older adults got in their diet on a routine basis. Then they put them through a series of memory and cognitive tests along with a brain imaging study.

The results? Adults who ate more choline-rich foods such as eggs outperformed adults who got less of this nutrient in their diet. They were also more likely to have areas on brain imaging study predictive of future cognitive decline.

For Better Memory, Pass the Eggs

Researchers are quick to point out that this study doesn’t necessarily show that choline acts alone to ward off memory loss. There could be another nutrient in choline-rich foods that boost brain health. Still, the results are consistent with other studies showing that choline is important for memory and function. Choline serves as the precursor for acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that’s closely involved in memory and muscle function. It also plays a role in brain development during early childhood, so it’s just as important for kids to get enough choline as it is for adults.

Other Sources of Choline

Most experts recommend that women get 450 milligrams of choline a day and men around 550 milligrams. Some people fall short of reaching this goal, but there are easy ways to add more choline to your diet. Begin the day with a breakfast of eggs. A large Eggland’s Best egg has around 125 milligrams of choline, but you have to eat the whole egg, not just the egg white. Choline is concentrated in the yolk of the egg. Other good choline sources are flaxseed, barley, oats, quinoa, peanuts, lentils, chicken, cauliflower and bananas.

Here’s a memory-boosting breakfast that’s easy to prepare. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and half of a sliced banana into a bowl of oatmeal. Enjoy it with a plate of choline-rich scrambled eggs. This breakfast will go far towards fulfilling your choline requirements and jumpstarting your brain too.

Other Health Benefits of Eggland’s Best Eggs

Eggland’s Best eggs are also a good source of lutein and vitamin A, two nutrients that protect against eye diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts and night blindness that are vision destroyers. Don’t forget that eggs are a high-quality source of protein. In fact, it outranks other protein sources because it’s the easiest for the body to absorb and utilize. Eggs are also one of the most filling and satisfying foods you can eat. That makes them a good weight loss food since they’re also low in calories.

The Bottom Line?

Make sure you’re getting enough choline in your diet. If you aren’t, start the day off right with scrambled eggs and oatmeal. The bonus? You may have fewer senior moments.

References:

Nutraingredients.com. “Choline May Protect the Brain from Effects of Aging”
World’s Healthiest Foods website.

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8 Surprising Facts About Eggs
Eggland’s Best Eggs: More than Just a Protein Source