Researchers in the United States analyzed data from the US NHANES study to evaluate the nutritional status of US adolescents and the impacts of added egg consumption on observed patterns. Alarmingly, over 60% of adolescents were at risk of inadequacy in one or more of calcium, magnesium, choline, and essential vitamins ((e.g., vitamins D and E), potentially due to unhealthy eating behaviors (e.g., late-night snacks).
Encouragingly, the consumption of primarily egg-based dishes was found to improve nutritional outcomes, with consumers exhibiting significantly higher choline, vitamin B2, vitamin D, selenium, lutein + zeaxanthin, docosahexaenoic acid, and protein levels than their egg-avoiding counterparts. These findings emphasize the need for policymakers to enhance the publicity, accessibility, and availability of eggs and similar nutrient-rich foods to reduce the widespread risk of nutrient inadequacy and address the growing concerns of nutrition insecurity in the country and abroad.
Study
The present study aims to evaluate the nutritional contributions of eggs (nutrient exposure scores) on the micronutrient and protein aspects of dietary recommendations (DRI, DGA, and Thrifty Food Plan). It further models the potential benefits of adding one daily egg to the diets of former adolescent participants of the NHANES (2007-2018) study.
Data for the study was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study, a long-term (2007-2018) nationally representative, continuous, cross-sectional database hosted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data was collected via in-home interviews, health screening using a mobile examination center (MEC), and follow-up telephonic interviews. Data included demographics (age, sex, weight, height, body mass index [BMI], family poverty-to-income ratio (PIR), and race/ethnicity).
Food security was a key variable, with adolescent participants classified into food-secure and food-insecure categories based on the US Household Food Security Survey Module. Dietary data was obtained from NHANES records and MEC analyses. The USDA’s Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) database was used to classify egg-containing diets into ‘primary egg dishes’ and ‘egg ingredient dishes’. The Rao-Scott statistical test and t-tests were used to evaluate the contributions of sociodemographic variables and inter-cohort differences, respectively.
Results
Supporting DGA reports, 14% of the current study cohort (ages 14-17) lived in households experiencing food insecurity, most of whom were non-Hispanic black or Mexican Americans. Additionally, participants presenting obesity (BMI >30) and low income (PIR <1.00) were more likely to belong to food-insecure families. Alarmingly, almost half (49%) of the study cohort never consumed eggs, while 36% and 15% consumed primarily egg dishes and egg-ingredient dishes, respectively.
Adolescents consuming primarily egg-based diets and experiencing food security presented significantly better nutritional metrics than other cohorts, particularly in protein and essential micronutrient categories. Modeling the addition of one egg per day to the diet significantly improved nutrient intakes across all groups, including those at high risk of nutrient inadequacy. The study showed that even food-insecure adolescents benefited from egg consumption, particularly in areas of choline, vitamin D, and protein intake.
Conclusion
Despite the US being a developed nation with limited food scarcity, more than 60% of the present study cohort (n = 5,455) suffered from nutrient insufficiency (particularly in proteins and essential micronutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and choline), highlighting adolescents as a high-risk population in dietary investigations.
Almost half of the participants reported rarely or never having consumed eggs. Participants who consumed primarily eggs as part of their diets had significantly reduced nutrient inadequacies. Modeling findings revealed that adding a single egg per day substantially improved nutrient outcomes across all evaluated cohorts, though food-insecure participants were expected to benefit the most.
Source:
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240923/Just-one-egg-daily-reduces-nutrient-gaps-among-US-adolescents-study-shows.aspx