Do Eggs Contain Lectins?
You may be wondering if eggs contain lectins and if they are a high or low lectin food.
While the topic of lectins still has a lot of unknowns, one thing we do know is that lectins are mostly found in plants.
That being said, because animals eat lectins, it is possible that they may end up in meats, or potentially even in eggs, depending on the chicken’s diet.
As such, a number of factors may affect it, such as the chicken’s diet and how wonderfully healthy they are!
Therefore, it may be reasonable to say that the better quality the eggs, the less likely they would be to contain lectins. There is another reason some do not eat egg whites, which I’ll mention in a moment.
Benefits Of Eggs – Protein & More
Eggs are often times considered wonderful choices for protein, due to their high protein content, how well the body can assimilate that protein, and their amino acid profile.
That being said, some people seem to believe that egg whites, which is where most of the protein is, may cause some people issues. (As compared to the yolk, which is the yellow or orange fatty part in the middle.)
If you are looking for a great source of protein powder, you may consider one of these two low lectin protein powders.
Protein Breakdown Of Eggs
Eggs contain protein in both the yolk and white, however there is more protein in the white than the yolk. On the other hand, the white contains hardly any fat, but plenty of protein.
Proteins break down into amino acids which are sometimes called the “building blocks of life”.
The body essentially breaks down proteins into amino acids which then it can use for different functions within the body, including to rebuild them into proteins, which can be used to repair muscles after a workout, the gut, etc.
There are 9 essential amino acids, and surprisingly eggs contain all 9 essential amino acids.
Nutritional Content of Eggs
Eggs also contain other nutrients, such as vitamins including B12, folate, and Vitamin D.
The color of the egg yolks is said to be an indicator of nutritional content in the eggs and their overall quality. The darker the yolk (more orange rather than yellow), the more nutritionally dense it is. The issue is, however, that the yolks can be influenced in color in ways that are not related to nutrition.
The farmers can feed the hens in a way to influence the color of the yolk, so that it looks like a great yolk, but instead is just being influenced in a way not related to nutrients but more like a dye colors something.
As mentioned above, they contain plenty of protein which is one of the reasons body builders love eating egg yolks.
Determining Quality Of Eggs
Eggs can have a variety of different quality. While the quality of eggs depends on a number of factors, including what the hen eats, there are some things you can look for that can help in determining the egg’s quality.
First of all, you can see if the eggs are “Pasture-Raised”. Generally speaking, the more natural and better quality the environment the chicken is living in, the better quality the egg is going to be.
Pasture-raised is generally going to be better quality than “free roam” which is generally going to be more roaming capabilities. Ultimately, there are numbers associated with “free roam” labeling, and the chickens could still be in a crowded area which could be a worse environment, compared to them roaming around on grass, eating bugs, etc.
Chickens without free roam or pasture-raised may be packed very tight.
Organic is another good indicator of the quality of the egg. The quality of the food fed to the chicken may impact the quality of the egg.
As mentioned above, the color of the yolk may also be an indicator of nutrient density in the egg, although as also mentioned above, the chickens can be fed certain foods that alter the yolk color, which would not affect the nutrient density.