Eating egg-rich diets and modeling the addition of one daily egg reduced the risk of nutrient inadequacy among U.S. adolescents with and without food insecurity

Analí Morales-Juárez, 2024 September, Eating egg-rich diets and modeling the addition of one daily egg reduced the risk of nutrient inadequacy among U.S. adolescents with and without food insecurity, J Nutr DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.09.019

Background: Adolescents have the poorest dietary intakes throughout the lifespan. Food insecurity worsens these nutritional risks. Eggs are one nutrient-dense strategy to increase nutrient quality.
Objective: 1) compare usual nutrient intakes, Dietary Reference Intakes and protein compliance with recommendations, and scores of micronutrient quality; and 2) analyze how adding one egg affects adolescents' nutrient profiles, by food security status and egg-rich diets.

Methods: Dietary data of U.S. adolescents in the 2007-2018 NHANES were analyzed (14-17 years; n=3,633). Egg-rich diet levels were categorized 1) non-eggs, 2) eggs as ingredients in dishes, or 3) primarily egg dishes. Food security status was classified using the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module. The National Cancer Institute method was used to estimate usual nutrient intake and nutrient exposure scores (i.e., food nutrient index and total nutrient index). Nutrient amounts from one medium egg were modeled on existing intakes. Pairwise t-tests determined significant differences.

Results: Over 60% of adolescents risked inadequate intake of calcium, choline, magnesium, and vitamins D and E regardless of food security status. Food secure adolescents consuming primarily egg dishes had higher mean usual intakes of lutein + zeaxanthin (1544.1 mcg), choline (408.4 mg), vitamin B2 (2.3 mg), selenium (128.6 mcg), vitamin D (6 mcg), docosahexaenoic acid (70 mg), and protein (89.1g) than other groups (P<0.0002). Those consuming eggs as ingredients in dishes demonstrated higher nutrient adequacy, for magnesium (scored ∼66 out of 100), potassium (scored 81), and total scores (scored 72 and 69, respectively) for the TNI and FNI; and folate only (scored 92) for the TNI, than those not consuming eggs (P<0.0002). Adding one egg increased choline and vitamin D usual intakes for some groups and nutrient index scores for all groups (P<0.0005).

Conclusions: Adolescents are at substantial nutritional risk that was exacerbated by food insecurity and less egg consumption.