Why Every Vegan Should Consider Eating This One Food

Most people don't just wake up one morning and say, "it's a good day to break up with meat," — there's usually a good reason to adopt a plant-based diet: ethical, environmental, animal rights or for better athletic performance. For performance-based vegans in particular, there is a protein source you’d benefit from that doesn’t negatively affect your health the same way a plate of chicken wings does.

In fact, this poor little superfood gets unfairly lumped in with animal products as “bad for your health” when really, many experts are finding the opposite is true: it’s a damn rockstar for your body.

Before we go any further, let’s be clear: we’re not saying you should eat this food, only that you should consider it. Many people—some of our trainers included—eat a plant-based diet and are obviously thriving. So, our conversation today is about presenting you with some food for thought: we’re not telling you we think you have to do anything.

Make sense?

Awesome, let’s keep going.

BodyRock Trainer Edith, above, who teaches our Beginner Bootcamp, lives a plant-based lifestyle. (Click to watch the first day of this bootcamp for free!)

Considering adopting a plant-based diet? Grab a copy of our Plant-Based eBook! You can get it free when you sign up here.

The Plant-Based Principle

As mentioned, there are many reasons to go plant-based. For this article, we’re not getting into the ethical reasons for going vegan, we’re sticking to just the health benefits.

As you know, the consumption of animal products is tied to:

Colon Cancer: Eating a diet rich in processed meats (bacon, sausage) and red meats can elevate your cancer risk.

Cardiovascular Disease: In a recent review of 20 studies, researchers found that people that regularly eat processed meats increased their risk of heart disease by 42%!

Type 2 Diabetes: Although research is controversial at best that red and processed meats can trigger type 2 diabetes, there is evidence to suggest it can, but only if you have a poor diet (i.e., don’t eat veggies, eat lots of carbs or overeat).

 

Getting Enough On A Vegan Diet

Eating a diet rich in healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, and nuts may be your recipe for good health but, plant-based people run the highest risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

There are workarounds, like taking supplements, to help prevent deficiencies. Not sure you’re getting enough? Read our Plant-Based eBook for nutritional advice. You can get it for 50% off right now!

Or, for performance-based vegans, you can turn to this incredible superfood — eggs — to help keep your vitamin and mineral levels balanced!

Why You Should Consider Eating Eggs

Eggs have been villainized. Although it is an animal product, for non-ethical vegans, you may find there is no reason why you shouldn’t benefit from eating this superfood.

You might be wondering why eggs should make the cut. Here’s why:

Highly Nutritious: Eggs contain almost every vitamin and mineral the body needs in addition to 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat and 77 calories — this will help prevent dietary deficiencies.

B Vitamins: Vegans, this is one vitamin you’re in short supply of, and eggs contain high amounts of Vitamin B2, B5 and B12.

Choline: Most people don’t consume enough of the essential nutrient choline. Choline it’s used throughout the body, and insufficient supplies put you at risk of many different diseases, like liver disease. Eating egg yolks is one of the richest sources of choline.

Perfect Protein: We need 21 amino acids, 9 of which we don’t produce and eggs well, not to brag, but they’re a pure, high-quality and complete protein source!

Eye Health: Eggs contain 2 powerhouse antioxidants (lutein and zeaxanthin) that protect your eyes from degenerative diseases. Studies suggest eating egg yolks every day improved lutein antioxidant levels by 28-50% and zeaxanthin by 114–142% after only a month and a half!

The Elephant In The Room: Cholesterol

One of the primary reasons vegans steer clear of eggs is initially studies indicated that eggs heightened cholesterol levels, would negatively affect your health. However, with countless studies, reviews and mixed results, it can feel hard to know whether eating eggs is a good or bad thing.

Let’s talk about cholesterol and start debunking all the white noise surrounding eggs.

New Evidence Proves Eggs LOWER Cholesterol: Originally, research hypothesized that since eggs contain cholesterol, it would then shoot your cholesterol levels to the moon — new evidence suggests that’s not the case. Further, the real culprit to sky-high cholesterol levels is saturated and trans fats (margarine) — eggs are free of these fats — as they move your “bad cholesterol” in the wrong direction.

Self-Regulation: If you eat a lot of cholesterol, your body adapts and produces less.

Oxidized Cholesterol: It turns out oxidized cholesterol is what’s truly bad for your health. Eating hydrogenated oils, smoking, or munching on commercially fried or baked foods all cause inflammation, leading to cholesterol build-up. Fortunately, eggs contain anti-inflammatory properties, so they pose no threat.

HDL: HDL or good cholesterol is heart-protective as it frog-marches its bad cousin, LDL, to the liver, where it's tossed out of the body — preventing it from staying in the blood and causing health problems.

The Verdict: Unlike meat, eggs don’t really pump up your cholesterol; therefore, eating eggs won’t increase your risk of heart disease.

Should You Consider Eating Eggs As a Vegan?

We know we’re walking on thin ice suggesting an animal product to those that have sworn it off, but eggs deserve your fair consideration. They’re not in the same artery-clogging category as meats. Not only are eggs highly nutritious, but they can also boost your game, protect you from deficiencies and provide a protein alternative.

If you start eating eggs, you’ve gone from a comparatively restrictive diet to a more flexible one. No longer will you need flaxseed eggs to bake with; you can eat the real thing! If you’re pressed for time or want to have a good night’s sleep, there isn’t anything easier than whipping up an egg and calling it a meal.

Whether you choose to eat eggs on a plant-based diet or not, hopefully, we’ve given you something to think about when it comes to nature’s perfect protein: the egg.

REFERENCES

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol/faq-20058468

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190916-are-eggs-good-for-you

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26780279/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/meat-good-or-bad

https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/oxidized-cholesterol-what-you-should-know

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-reasons-why-eggs-are-the-healthiest-food-on-the-planet#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6