Eating Eggs Linked to Stress Relief

Stress has become a near-constant companion for many elements of modern life. If left untreated, stress and anxiety can have a detrimental effect on your health and welfare and it’s important to take steps to treat and alleviate stress and anxiety. One of the ways to do so? By managing your diet.

Studies have found that what we eat can contribute to how we feel, with a healthy diet supporting healthy minds. Diet is an important aspect of managing mental health, with its effects stretching far beyond just our bodies. A healthy diet has been linked to stress relief and anxiety management, with eggs being identified as one of the foods that can relieve anxiety and stress relief.  

What is Stress?

Stress has become an accepted part of our daily lives, affecting our actions and thoughts, but what is stress and what are the long term affects of stress? Stress is a bodily response  and refers to any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. Simply put, stress is how your body responds to anything that requires attention or action. This reaction can either be long or short term.

Stress can cause physical effects such as headaches, chest pain, low energy and has even been linked to long-lasting health affects.

How Eggs can reduce stress and boost mental health

Eggs can offer a nutritional tool to boost and stabilise your mood. Eggs have also been referred to as “nature’s multivitamin” due to the impressive nutrients contained within. They contain an impressive range of the amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, and vitamins that our bodies need to produce a healthy response to stress and anxiety.

Eggs offer slow-digesting protein and fat which help to stabilise blood sugar levels, helping keep your mood steady. Higher levels of lysine, an amino acid found in eggs, have been found to reduce stress and anxiety, improving mental health overall. Eggs have been found to contain choline, a nutrient linked to brain health and stress management, as well as tryptophan, a vital amino acid that assists in producing serotonin, and. Serotonin is a hormone that is responsible for stabilising our mood, happiness, and feelings of well-being. Low levels of serotonin have been associated with depression, anxiety, and trouble sleeping. Choline helps to produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that impacts both muscles and brain & nervous system processes.

Eggs contain high levels of vitamin D, a vitamin that is vital for healthy physical development and which can impact mental health.   Vitamin D is vital for bone development and can assist in reducing inflammation and module cell growth and immune function. Vitamin D is a vitamin that plays an important role in regulating mood and is also known as the “Sunshine vitamin”.

Lack of vitamin D  has been linked to higher rates of depression, and low levels of vitamin D can potentially contribute to a poorly regulated mood and behaviour, and while ingesting increased levels of vitamin D cannot cure depression on its own, however, this vitamin can improve your mood. Eggs are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D.

One serving of eggs (Around two 60g eggs) contains around 8.2mcg of vitamin D. The amount of Vitamin D can vary widely based on whether the hens are raised outside or fed vitamin-D enriched feed.  

Eggs also contain tryptophan, an amino acid that your body needs for serotonin production. Tryptophan is not produced by the human body and needs to be introduced through your diet. Tryptophan also plays a role in the production melatonin, which helps regulate your sleep schedule. Other foods that have been found to be mood boosting include spinach, olive oil, nuts, dark chocolate, rooibos, green tea, turmeric and yoghurt.

Need some egg inspiration? Take a look at our recipe pages for great ways to incorporate eggs into your diet!