The importance of mental health is a topic that has become increasingly critical-particularly as we face pandemic stress and an uncertain world.

One of the elements that has been found to impact mental health, stress, and anxiety is what we eat. Our diets impact much more than just our physical health, but can also impact our mental health as well. The latest research has found that one of the food types which can potentially positively impact our mental health, is the humble egg!

How Eggs can boost your Mental Health and Reduce Stress

If you’re struggling with anxiety, eggs might just offer a nutritional tool to boost and stabilise your mood. Often referred to as nature’s multivitamin due to the impressive nutrients contained within, eggs contain an impressive range of the amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, and vitamins needed to produce a healthy stress response.

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 also been found to contain tryptophan, a vital amino acid that assists in producing serotonin, and choline, a nutrient required to produce acetylcholine. 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. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that impacts both muscles and brain & nervous system processes.

Eggs also contain high levels of vitamin D, a vitamin vital for healthy development and which can impact mental health.

The Power of Vitamin D

Also known as the “sunshine vitamin” because your body produces this vitamin after exposure to the sun, Vitamin D is vital for bone development and reduces inflammation and module cell growth and immune function. Vitamin D is a vitamin that plays an important role in regulating mood.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to depression, and low levels of vitamin D can potentially contribute to a poorly regulated mood and behaviour. Increasing Vitamin D cannot cure depression on its own, however, this vitamin can improve your mood. Eggs are high in vitamin D, one of the few natural sources of vitamin D. One chicken egg contains around 37 IU of vitamin D, however, this can vary widely based on whether the hens are raised outside or fed vitamin-D enriched feed.

Other foods that can boost your mood:
• Spinach
• Rooibos tea
• Nuts
• Dark chocolate

Looking for ideas to incorporate more eggs into your diet? Head over to our recipe page for more!