As we are aware chicken eggs are the most common eggs that are consumed by humans in general. But, eggs from a small bird called Quail has also gained popularity and is supposed to have higher nutritional content compared to the chicken eggs. Quails are seen to live in Asian countries especially Japan, China and Indonesia. These eggs are smaller in size compared to the chicken eggs. The quail eggs have brown patches on the outer surface. These eggs contain more of the yellow yolk than the white outside membrane.
Quail Eggs Nutrition Value
Human beings need a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Eggs are one good source of proteins. A quail egg which weighs about 9 grams contains the following nutrients.
- Total calories = 14k calories
- Total fat = 1 gram
- Vitamin B12, Vitamin D = 1% DV
- Cholesterol = 76 mg
- Iron = 1%
- Potassium = 12mg
- Sodium = 13mg
- Protein = 1.2 grams
- and Vitamin A = 717 micro grams.
Quail eggs also contain a good amount of vitamin B1, B2, phosphorous and calcium. Along with vitamin A quail eggs have a good content of Choline too. This is very important in maintaining cell membranes and nervous system. One serving of quail eggs contains about 119 mg of choline which is nearly 22% daily requirement for men. Its vitamin A content is nearly 8% of daily requirement.
The eggs contain minerals like selenium and iron content which is much more than that found in chicken eggs. Selenium activates the thyroid and allows it to function properly. The iron content helps in generation of RBCs in the blood. Selenium also helps in muscle metabolism and nourishment of blood vessels. A serving of quail eggs contains about 26% of daily selenium requirement. The iron content in a serving of quail eggs provides 20% daily requirement for men and 9% requirement for women.
What About The Health Benefits Of Quail Eggs?
There are number reasons to justify consumption of quail eggs.
1. Aids Body Development
Proteins are supposed to be the building blocks of a good healthy body. The same can be had from the amino acids present in the quail eggs. Hence it is important to include quail egg as part of the diet of children during their growing years.
2. Helps In Proper Brain And Nervous System Development
Quail eggs contain about 140% of vitamin B1 as compared to the chicken eggs. Deficiency of Thiamine which is vitamin B1 can cause neuropathy issues in the body. Thus Thiamine consumption is important to maintain and protect nervous system, cardio vascular and digestive system in the body.
3. Increases Iron Content In The Body
Pre-menopausal women and children are likely to suffer from iron deficiencies. Thus including quail eggs in the diet ensures a good hemoglobin count in the red blood corpuscles of the body. This reduces risks of getting anemia. Hemoglobin helps in transporting oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body to all the organs.
4. Enhances Immunity
Quail eggs contain an amino acid called Lysine which helps in boosting the immune system. Lysine helps in the development of antibodies which strengthen the immune system function.
5. Helps In Maintaining Blood Sugar Levels
Consumption of quail eggs is supposed to be good for diabetes. It contains an amino acid called Leucine which helps in balancing blood sugar levels. Insulin generation is also maintained to ensure that there is no spiking of blood sugar levels.
6. Maintains Healthy Skin
Lysine which is an amino acid found in quail egg help in the production of a protein called collagen. This helps in keeping the skin tight and firm. Thus, sagging of skin or wrinkles is not formed.
7. Helps In Building Muscle
You need to consume good amount of protein to build muscles. By consuming quail eggs which are high in protein content before working out, helps in building muscles in the body.
8. Improvement of Vision
Vitamin A content present in quail egg is an important contributor for improved eyesight and vision. By regular consumption of quail eggs you could avoid age related macular degeneration.
9. Maintains Healthy Metabolism
The vitamin B complex constituent in quail egg plays an important role in maintaining the healthy metabolism in the body. Vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 help to activate enzymes which are needed for proper metabolism and energy production.
10. Contains A Good Amount Of Calcium And Phosphorous
Aging women and children need to consume a good amount of calcium to maintain healthy bones. This can be easily got by consuming quail eggs regularly. Calcium helps in mineralization of bones and prevents osteoporosis. Phosphorous is also an important component needed to live. It is part of the DNA, RNA, ATP and phospholipids which form parts of cell structure. Since quail eggs contain phosphorous you could consume it on a regular basis.
11. Fights Allergies
Quail eggs are supposed to control or fight allergy symptoms in the body. This is mainly due to the ovomucoid protein content present in them.
12. Aids In Blood Purification
The amino acids present in the quail eggs help in removal of toxins like heavy metals from the body. The amino acids bind easily to the heavy metal components and flush them out of the body.
13. Prevents Chronic Diseases
Antioxidants present in quail eggs help to neutralize the free radicals in the body. The high vitamin C and vitamin A content in the eggs protects the body against inflammation and onset of chronic diseases.
14. Aids In Maintenance Of Blood Sugar Levels
Consumption of quail egg helps in prevention of diabetes. The amino acid called Leucine present in the eggs help to maintain blood sugar levels. It also aids in maintaining appropriate levels of insulin in the blood to balance blood sugar levels.
15. Aids Hair Growth
The amino acid called Linoleat aids lush growth of hair from the roots. It nourishes the roots which in turn enables healthy growth of hair.
16. Helps In Reducing Blood Pressure Levels
The fatty acid called Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) helps to maintain blood pressure levels in the body. It also protects the heart and reduces risks of heart diseases.
17. Relieves Symptoms Of Depression
Quail eggs are supposed to contain some sex hormones called hormone P. These hormones remove symptoms of depression especially in menopausal women. This anti-depressant property of quail eggs is quite unique.
18. Maintaining Dental Health
Quail egg contain a number of minerals like zinc which helps to keep your teeth strong and healthy. The yolk of the egg provides the minerals. Thus dental health is protected by regular consumption of quail eggs.
19. Improving Digestive Health
Since quail eggs contain anti-inflammatory compounds it protects against stomach ulcers and gastritis. The amino acids present in the eggs guard the stomach lining and ward off infections.
About Quail Egg Benefits For Allergy
Quail eggs are supposed to erase all symptoms of allergy. This is mainly due to the Ovo mucoid protein content. This was accidentally discovered for the first time by a French quail breeder R. Cordonnier in the year 1960. He found that his wife’s asthma symptoms totally disappeared after regular consumption of quail eggs. The same observation was made by another breeder with people around him.
Later Dr. Truffier tried some experiments and came to the same conclusion. In a span of 10 years, he had found 5000 cures with quail eggs. Thus he researched and published reports on the therapeutic qualities of quail eggs.
Though his initial observation was reducing symptoms of asthma he found out later that it reacted to other kinds of allergies too. This included Rhinitis, hay fever, conjunctivitis and certain skin allergies too. The skin allergies included eczema, psoriasis and prurigo.
Later on another scientist named Gerard Lucotte also researched in the same domain and came to the same conclusion. The combined efforts of these people brought about “Ovogenics” approach of curing allergies.
Work done many others, later on, proved that quail eggs had a strong compound which inhibited human trypsin which was involved in allergic reactions. In later years it was found that the white of the eggs also contained other ovoinhibitors which plays an important role in inhibiting allergic reactions.
Are Quail Eggs Good For Cholesterol?
Quail eggs contain 100mg to 400mg of cholesterol depending on their size. Smaller eggs are consumed in multiple numbers typically 4 to 5 eggs. This would amount to about 380 to 400 mg of cholesterol. This amount is found to be more than the daily requirement of cholesterol for the body. Hence it should be eaten in moderation. For people having heart diseases and high cholesterol, the daily requirement could be about 200mg. Since quail eggs give more than 2 times their daily requirement they should avoid eating too many of them in a single day. The cholesterol content in quail eggs is higher because its yolk to white portion proportion is higher. For babies, it is advisable to give 1 spoon of yolk to start with and then increase the dosage slowly. Children below 2 years of age are not advised to take whole eggs.
Quail Eggs Vs Chicken Eggs
Since chicken eggs are the most commonly consumed eggs it is but natural to compare quail eggs with chicken eggs.
- Quail eggs are supposed to have a richer taste because of its larger yolk to white content ratio when compared to chicken eggs.
- Quail eggs are smaller in size as compared to chicken eggs. 4 quail eggs are equivalent to one chicken egg.
- Quail eggs are supposed to be safe from salmonella bacteria. This is because of an enzyme called lysosome in the quail eggs which kill bacteria. Moreover, the body temperature of quail eggs is slightly higher than the chicken and hence infections are kept at bay.
- The protein content in quail egg is 13% while that in chicken is 11%.
- The iron content in quail egg is higher than in chicken.
- The good fat that is the HDL cholesterol is higher in the quail eggs.
- Quail eggs are rich in ovomucoid proteins and lysozymes.
- Quail eggs have a higher content of phosphorous and calcium.
Health Tips While Consuming Quail Egg
- Check for the quality of quail egg before buying them from the market.
- It is recommended not to consume more than 10 quail eggs per day. Actually consuming 5 per day is good enough. If more eggs are consumed it could cause vitamin An intoxication. This is especially true if you are consuming it with other vitamin A rich foods like carrots and fish.
- Quail eggs can be safely eaten raw since they do not contain any bacteria.
- Wash the quail eggs properly in warm water before consuming them.
- You can add quail eggs to soups, stews or salads.
- You can bake them pan fry them or boil them before consuming them.
Advantages With Raising Quails For Their Eggs
- Quail birds need lesser space since they are smaller in size.
- The birds are considered to be quite sturdy.
- Once they start growing they can be marketed by 5 weeks of time duration.
- They start laying eggs from six to seven weeks.
- They lay a large number of eggs per year. This is around 280 per year.
- Quails are also marketed for their meat.
Best Way To Eat Quail Egg
The best way to eat a quail egg is to eat it raw. Wash the egg in warm water. Break open the egg and pour the contents in a bowl. Now it is ready for consumption. For people who can’t get to eat it raw, can try out this method. Break the egg and empty contents in a bowl. Pour boiling water over it and leave it for 10 minutes. After that take it out and cut it into pieces. Sprinkle salt over it and consume it.
Conclusion
Quail eggs are yet another source of nutritious food human beings can consume. Though they are fears about its high cholesterol content when eaten in moderation it has a lot of health benefits. Chinese medical practitioners have been using quail eggs in the treatment of a number of diseases for hundreds of years. Children who consume at least 2 quail eggs per day are found to lead a disease free life.
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