
Eggs go in and out of fashion. In the 1950s the UK’s Egg Marketing Board spent almost £12m on a successful campaign to get Brits to eat eggs for breakfast, but later fears about fat, cholesterol and food poisoning saw them drop out of favour again. But now, up-to-date science and better food safety mean you should definitely be eating them – not only because they contain loads of the nutrients your body needs, but also because of the effects they have on your mind, your mood and more. And whatever anyone tells you, don’t ditch the yolk: it contains almost as much protein as the white, and most of the vitamins and minerals.
Eggs can boost your sex drive
An egg has 10% of your recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin D, something in which many in the UK are deficient because of a lack of regular sunlight. It’s involved in hundreds of functions, including sexual health, and a study in Hormone And Metabolic Research found that men with adequate vitamin D had 25% more testosterone than those with a deficiency. As well as a higher sex drive, that means more muscle and less fat.
Eggs can ease a hangover
Heavy night? Eggs make the morning after easier. They contain the amino acid cysteine, which helps metabolise the hangover-causing compound acetaldehyde, which your body creates by breaking down alcohol. Cysteine also helps make glutathione, an antioxidant that neutralises cell-damaging free radicals, while the fats found in eggs will satisfy cravings without excess calories.
Eggs can help you think clearer
One egg contains 35% of your RDI of the nutrient choline, which is needed to produce neurotransmitters linked to heightened intelligence, memory and mood. Choline is also involved in the prevention of fatty liver disease, which is a build-up of fat in the organ that can be caused by excess alcohol consumption.