Eggs are wonderful. Often lauded as a balanced part of breakfast and a “superfood”, the egg provides a great number of health benefits, and with moderate consumption, it raises no health concerns. However, recent studies on the effects of the amino acid tyrosine show that eggs can do more than provide high nutritional fuel for your body; they may also improve your cognitive performance.
In the first study, researchers tested the participants’ reflexes and abilities to respond to cues for green and red arrows. They found that participants who took tyrosine supplements were able to respond more quickly and accurately than participants who took a placebo, which they thought was the treatment but in reality had no effect on them. The researchers went on to imply that these findings can be applied to driving safety, where faster reflexes can mean the difference between stepping on the brake in time and getting into a car collision.
A related study, which entailed testing the cognitive performance of military cadets before and after completing a physically and mentally stressing combat training course, also found that tyrosine has a significant impact on reducing the detrimental effects of stress and fatigue on the soldiers’ cognitive function. If we put this in the context of civilian life, it means that our abilities to think logically and perform tasks accurately wouldn’t suffer as greatly after pulling all-nighters or enduring long, and stressful situations.
The findings from these studies are incredible because they show that tyrosine plays a tremendous role in both maintaining and improving cognitive performance, but what exactly does “cognitive performance” mean? The term may sound like scientific jargon at first, but it essentially translates into having faster reflexes, improved motor skills, greater memory retention, and most importantly for students, better concentration.
Image Source: Andreas Rentz
So, what does tyrosine have to do with eggs? Eggs contain a lot of it! On average, one serving of egg whites contains about 1,904 milligrams of tyrosine, more than your typical serving of turkey or sirloin tip roast. Combine this with some other tyrosine-rich foods like spinach and seaweed, and you’ll see improvements in your cognitive function. The next time you head out early for work or school, get an omelette and you’ll see some egg-cellent results!
Feature Image Source: Scrambled Eggs for Breakfast by Hamburger Helper
