In the inaugural episode of our new podcast series, we will be cracking open a topic that's as nutritious as it is controversial: EGGS. Eggs are "superfoods" since they are an excellent source of high quality protein, lipids, and 13 micronutrients essential for health and development. They still remain, however, one of the most under-consumed foods in many Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) where the need for such energy-dense, long shelf-life foods is highest.
In the inaugural episode of our new podcast series, we will be cracking open a topic that's as nutritious as it is controversial: EGGS.
Eggs are "superfoods" since they are an excellent source of high quality protein, lipids, and 13 micronutrients essential for health and development. They still remain, however, one of the most under-consumed foods in many Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) where the need for such energy-dense, long shelf-life foods is highest.
In the second part of this episode, we scramble the fascinating potential of eggs to come up with solutions on tackling malnutrition in LMICs.
Kesso Gabrielle: [00:00:00] And welcome back to part two of episode one in our Extraordinary Egg series. We are now diving into the uncracked potential of eggs to combat malnutrition in LMIC. So in the first part of the episode, we delved into the rich nutritional profile of eggs. And now we're going to explore how eggs can be a key player in places where malnutrition is most prevalent. So we're delighted to continue this discussion with Dr Lora Iannotti and Dr Nelly Zavaleta. And now without further delay, let's dive into the role of eggs and the role that they could play in alleviating malnutrition in LMIC. I'll start with you again, Lora. We know that Regular consumption of eggs contribute significantly to improvements in child growth and cognition while also improving dietary diversity. And I know that you've led many RCTs exploring the impact of eggs on child growth. Can you share why eggs stood out as a choice for you in these interventions [00:01:00] and which particular nutrients in eggs are crucial for child's growth and cognition? And I know that you've mentioned some of that earlier on, but if you could expand, that'd be wonderful.
Lora Iannotti: Sure. So, my lab focuses on sort of the broader food group category of animal source foods. Because animal source foods contain these bioavailable nutrients that vulnerable populations, children in particular, can't absorb and metabolize more efficiently than plant-based foods. Eggs have been one of our foods of choice because as Nelly mentioned earlier, eggs tend to be more affordable than compared to other animal source foods.
So people can access them, especially in very low income communities. This is an important element. But what we do before we do these trials is we conduct formative research to also see if there's a cultural acceptance, if there are norms around consumption of eggs. And we [00:02:00] found that to be the case in Ecuador where we did the trial, the successful trial on child growth.
People consume eggs already. They're highly valued. They can afford them. So these are all part of that decision making around which of the animal source foods we wanna consider in our work.
Kesso Gabrielle: Dr Nelly, Dr Lora's research underscores the nutritional value of eggs, especially for young children in LMIC, and so they seem to be solid choice for complementary feeding, but again, there's been some debate, so past guidelines hesitated to introduce eggs before 8 or even 12 months of age. So, are these claims well founded according to you?
Nelly Zavaleta: Before going to that part I would like to stress the importance of the eggs in complementary feeding. Because usually children in developing countries decrease growth velocity approximately at six months of age. At the moment of complementary feeding, growth velocity [00:03:00] decreases and by two years of age, there is a diminish in stature in children. So this is related. And then we saw many children can be stunted. And there is evidence that stunted children have less development. So, part of this potential of development has (been) lost. So, in the studies of cohort, it has shown the relationship of chronic malnutrition with development and with the quality of life in the future. So it is very important to prevent this decrease in growth velocity that leads to chronic malnutrition. And what we saw also that in children, the problem is the quality of the diet. The quality of the diet that is limited during the complementary period, the needs of nutrients are very high because of the high velocity of growth. And the diet is poor in some vitamins and some minerals and some fatty acids. So, the quality of [00:04:00] the diet is one of the main cost that leads to chronic malnutrition.
And, in this regard, eggs is a perfect food that is affordable for families that can help to close the gap between the recommendations and the needs of the growing children. And then I can tell you about the allergy, is a problem in infancy, but it's a rare problem. I would say that approximately 1% of children might be allergic, but it's not, very common and usually can be easily recognized by the doctors and prevented. But many of the children outgrow this allergy during the adolescent period. Thank you.
Kesso Gabrielle: Lora, I see that you want come in here.
Lora Iannotti: Yes. I wanna add to what Nelly has said about allergies because we also, in addition to cholesterol, we find that is another concern that people express with regards to introducing it early in a child's life, is the concerns about allergies. First of all, in [00:05:00] all of my studies in many, many low and middle-income countries, we have never seen egg allergies. We're always prepared for it, we have our EpiPen, you know, we monitor it for egg allergies, but we've never seen this. And in fact, in Ecuador we tested blood for an immunoglobulin called IGE, which can indicate egg allergies. And we found very low levels in this population. But the more important point I wanna make is that the American Academy of Pediatrics is no longer, you know, counter indicating or not recommending the introduction of eggs because they're not gonna cause an allergy. And in fact they might reduce the risk of it by introducing it early.
So it's a really important point to keep emphasizing that introducing eggs is not gonna cause allergy. And we don't wanna deny so many hundreds of [00:06:00] thousands of, you know, millions of kids, the good nutrition of eggs for fear of cholesterol, or allergies because the evidence doesn't support it.
Nelly Zavaleta: Yeah, absolutely.
Kesso Gabrielle: Thank you both. I think it's really great that you're both underlining this , because you're right. There's been a lot of misunderstandings around this whole allergy domain. So we've talked a bit about the complementary feeding , space, but I also wonder –Dr Nelly, perhaps– eggs are also noted for being beneficial during pregnancy and lactation. So can you tell us about the benefits of eating eggs during those times and how they specifically help the mother and the baby?
Nelly Zavaleta: During pregnancy, the needs for the growing fetus are very high. And also the diet of pregnant women also is efficient in many minerals and vitamins and fatty acids. So, eggs are the perfect food source of this nutrient that can help to have a baby that is born at term with[00:07:00] adequate weight. So it's important for an adequate growth and also for preventing premature (birth) and also for adequate development because during this period also it's important development and the eggs are a good source of fatty acids, a source of choline and it's a good source of zinc also, which is important for a healthy pregnancy.
Kesso Gabrielle: Wonderful. Thank you so much to both of you for laying this out so clearly for us. So before we move on, I suggest that we hear from Jordie and Jordie will share our number of the day. Take it away, Jordie.
Jordie Fischer: Thanks, Kesso. So we've heard about the nutritional value of eggs and the potential for eggs to prevent malnutrition in children, particularly in LMICs. However, I'm curious as to what is the actual prevalence of egg consumption in children around the world. So today's number of the day is 17. The global UNICEF databases say 17 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 23 months from [00:08:00] the lowest quintile consume eggs, compared to 30% of children in the wealthiest quintile.
So I wonder, does this difference in egg consumption prevalence point to a challenge or an opportunity for eggs' potential to alleviate malnutrition in children? Lora, in light of your work, do you have any insights in this area?
Lora Iannotti: I am so glad that you've raised this point, Jordie. I think that when we talk about, you know, healthy, sustainable dietary patterns around the world, we need to also talk about the principle of equity. I think one of the large issues, one of the most critical issues that we're facing around the world in terms of malnutrition and even –you know, I'll bring in climate change and the environmental impacts of food systems– is this issue of equity. As you say, in very low income settings, people have low consumption of eggs, whereas in high income, we have a very different [00:09:00] scenario and high intake. So, really what this comes down to is thinking about redistribution and making sure that vulnerable populations have access to these foods, not just eggs, but other animal source foods. So it's a principle of equity and I'm really glad that you're highlighting that as your number of the day.
Kesso Gabrielle: I think what you just shared is so important, Lora, and I'm glad you mentioned the importance of making eggs, basically accessible, affordable and appealing. And it's true that at Sight and Life, we've been on this mission now for many years, and this was in part to the huge opportunity that was screaming at us when we saw the huge benefits through the trial. So, I fully agree with you on that. Nelly, would you perhaps like to comment?
Nelly Zavaleta: Yes, would like to emphasize the perception of mothers regarding eggs. So mothers recognized eggs as a good nutritious food for their children and for their family. And among the list of animal food sources,[00:10:00] I would say that eggs are the most affordable. So, there are still possibilities to increase consumption, even in the people that with less income. Yeah. If we inform more and we emphasize the importance of eggs as a nutritional food source. I think that can be improved. So there are several ways we can improve the consumption of eggs products in the communities, even in poor settings.
Kesso Gabrielle: Thank you, Nelly. by the way, to our listeners, we will have a whole episode on that in our second episode. So you'll have more information from us on that. And I believe Mathilda now has some interesting news to share with us for our newscast. Take it away, Mathilda.
Mathilda Freymond: Yes, thanks, Kesso. So in April 2023, the FAO released a report looking at the contribution of terrestrial animal source food to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health outcomes. They stated, "Terrestrial animal source food [00:11:00] within healthy dietary patterns can make vital contribution to efforts to meet the Global Nutrition Targets for 2030 endorsed by the World Health Assembly and the SDGs.
These Global Nutrition Targets aim to reduce stunting but also overweight among children under 5, low birth weight, anemia in women of reproductive age and obesity as well as diet related non communicable diseases in adults." So Dr. Nelly, knowing the potential role of these terrestrial animal source foods to meet these nutrition targets, how can we ensure that communities in low resource settings have continuous access to these foods in a more affordable and sustainable way?
Nelly Zavaleta: I would say that the terrestrial animal food sources provide a high quality protein. And they have a unique amino acid and complete amino acid patterns. Also, they contain bioactive [00:12:00] factors that help to prevent diseases. So, also as Lora mentioned, these animal food sources also have essential fatty acids that are important and important for neuro development, especially for cognition. So, among the group of terrestrial animal source foods (TASF) a consumption of eggs products is accessible, affordable.
And also thinking about the carbon printing and the climate change, the production of egg products is feasible, accessible. And I've seen that it can be recommended. And, I've seen that that it has a good possibility for people living in, poor conditions to have access to good quality food source with eggs. And among the list of animal food sources, eggs are, I would say, the, most affordable.
Kesso Gabrielle: Lora, would you like to add to that?
Lora Iannotti: Yeah I just wanna underscore [00:13:00] what Dr Nelly has said. I think the point that eggs can help us move closer to the sustainable development goals (SDGs), which was part of the messaging in the terrestrial animal source food report from FAO. That's really important, not just related to human health, but also related to other SDGs so that we can use eggs as a sustainable source, a renewable source in many ways, of animal source foods as a category. And also for diversifying diets. And diverse diets relates to biodiversity in our environment. So there are a lot of benefits that we can see coming out of eggs and consuming eggs. Now I do think eggs alone are not gonna solve malnutrition. We know that it's really about diversity and moderation. But eggs are certainly an integral part [00:14:00] of that. I think I've answered the question Kesso, but I'm not sure , so please elaborate if you want.
Kesso Gabrielle: No, you definitely have. Thank you so much. But we are approaching the end of this episode already. Um, I have a final question for both of you. So to inspire our BrainFood podcast listeners to engage in more research. Could you perhaps share some of the current gaps in science or implementation concerning eggs and nutrition? Nelly, perhaps you can start.
Nelly Zavaleta: We have to think about how to make eggs affordable, especially in particular for people that live in food insecurity. Because food insecurity nowadays, after the pandemic, has increased in many countries, and in particularly the quality of the diet has been affected. And it's very important to diversify the diets and to think about those animal foods sources that are cheapest and are friendly with the environment. So, this is not an [00:15:00] easy task, but I think that working with the organization of women might be a possibility to make accessible and feasible to the diversify the diets. Of course, with egg products and also other food groups like vegetables and fruits. So I would say to emphasizing, supporting this kind of work with community organizations.
Kesso Gabrielle: How about you, Lora?
Lora Iannotti: I would say there are two streams of research that are now needed to move this science forward in terms of the nutritional importance of eggs. The first is in the category in global public health nutrition that we call nutrition sensitive interventions. And that is exactly what Nelly is talking about, which is how do we make them more affordable, more accessible, more available.
So essentially: egg production at smaller scales that might be [00:16:00] improving accessibility in markets or poverty alleviation so that people can afford eggs in very low resource setting. Those are examples. The second stream of research that I would highly recommend because there are significant gaps in the evidence base would be for different phases of the life course.
So Nelly and I have been emphasizing the first thousand days of life because of all of the reasons she described, which is the velocity of growth, the importance of brain growth in that period. But I sometimes think we neglect other phases. We should be paying attention to them. So the school age child is one example.
Brain development continues, you know, through adolescence even into the twenties. And actually, the good news is we keep changing the brain even as we age. And eggs can be an important part of the diet for school-aged kids, but we don't have very much [00:17:00] evidence there. And then the second life course phase where I feel it's been significantly neglected –and the demographics of our globe are changing– is our older adults. So we know that meat, for example, can prevent sarcopenia or can improve memory, but we don't know much about eggs. So what are the possibilities of eggs for older adults and preserving health and protecting health in that period of the life course?
So I'll end there.
Kesso Gabrielle: These are really fascinating insights, and I love what you're saying about school age children. We at Sight and Life, we focus more on adolescents, but it's true that there is this growth spurt. So it would be the perfect timing to include this as part of their diet. So hopefully more research in this space. And just like that, we've reached the end of another episode of BrainFood. So a big, big thank [00:18:00] you to all of our listeners for joining us in the kickoff series, Extraordinary Eggs, brought to you by Sight and Life. A huge shout out to our wonderful speakers, Dr Lora Iannotti and Dr Nelly Zavaleta for sharing your expertise. Your insights have been incredible. A heartfelt thank you. And a warm thank you as well to my co hosts. So Jordie (Fischer) and Mathilda (Freymond), it's always a pleasure to explore these topics with you. And a big thank you to the Sight and Life team, particularly Jimena (Monroy)
and Rachel (Natali) for all the work behind the scenes, really, and before we say goodbye, here are three takeaways:
First of all. If you enjoyed our conversation today, make sure to follow BrainFood by Sight and Life and share this episode with your friends, families and colleagues. Please don't hesitate. And next, keep an eye out for our upcoming episode on the Egg Hub. So the Egg Hub is a fresh initiative to boost egg production.
I see you guys are smiling there already. To boost the supply and the consumption of eggs in LMIC. And it's an episode you definitely do not want to miss. And finally, have [00:19:00] a look at Sight and Life's latest special report called The Promise and Progress of Maternal Nutrition in India. And it's available on our website. So do have a look. And this wraps up our show. So we hope you have a wonderful time wherever you are.
Stay connected with us on Sight and Life social media channels, and we will catch you in the next episode. See you soon, everyone.
Nelly Zavaleta: Thank you. Was my pleasure. Bye-bye.
Lora Iannotti: Thank you, Kesso.