Eggs are awesome, says new scientific report from the egg board

Okay, its published in an actual journal — here’s the press release on Eurekalert! — and they do provide handy references to their claims…but it doesn’t mean I don’t think their enthusiasm is a little suspicious…

A research review published recently in Nutrition Today(1) affirms that the high-quality protein in eggs makes a valuable contribution to muscle strength, provides a source of sustained energy and promotes satiety. High-quality protein is an important nutrient for active individuals at all life stages, and while most Americans consume the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein, additional research suggests that some Americans are not consuming enough high-quality protein to achieve and maintain optimal health.(2,3,4)

Eat more eggs! Eggggggs!

One wonders why they can’t bother to name this “all-natural, high-quality protein” (as if we might think eggs might contain entirely unnatural, low-quality proteins) in the press release. And by one, I guess I mean me, really. It is my blog, after all.

“While many Americans may be getting enough protein, they need to focus on consuming sources of higher-quality protein. Our review of the science suggests that eggs are an ideal protein choice, plus, they are very affordable,” says Donald K. Layman, Ph.D., co-author of the research review and professor emeritus at the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois. “In addition, individuals should focus on when they consume high-quality protein. Most protein consumption occurs in the evening, even though there are significant benefits to consuming more protein at breakfast, such as stimulation of muscle protein synthesis and long-lasting satiety.”

Egggs! Mystery Protein! EGGGGS!

To be fair, I haven’t read the Nutrition Today article, and the journal is peer-reviewed. So, my default skepticism aside, I can reasonably assume everything is on the up and up. It is a review article, after all, so I’d be curious if there were any anti-egg articles published in 2008 (when many of these studies were referenced).