Eggs Are Not Just Protein. They Are the Best Source of a Nutrient Almost Nobody Discusses.

By Tina Chagoury, Clinical Dietitian · 5 min read · 2026-11-09

When I am forced to choose a single food for hormonal health, eggs usually win, and choline is a large part of the reason.

When I am asked to choose between foods for hormonal health, eggs win more often than anything else. There are two reasons, and the second one is rarely discussed.

Reason one: protein

Eggs are higher in protein than most of the foods they get compared with, including Greek yoghurt, which I also like.

And protein, alongside blood sugar stability, is the foundation of hormonal balance. Protein at every meal, starting within the first hour of waking, is the single highest yield change most women can make.

Reason two: choline

Choline is an essential nutrient, and it is found in its highest concentration in egg yolk. By some distance the best food source.

Most people have never heard of it. It matters for:

• The formation of the nervous system, which is why it is critical before and during pregnancy
• Liver function, including the processing and clearance of fats. Inadequate choline is associated with fat accumulation in the liver.
• Cognitive function, as a precursor to a key neurotransmitter involved in memory

You do not find this nutrient in many foods. That is precisely what makes eggs unusual.

If you cannot eat eggs

Some women do not eat eggs, are allergic to them, or simply dislike them. This is where we need to look at a supplement that actually contains a meaningful quantity of choline.

Check the label carefully, particularly on prenatal formulas. A great many contain very little choline or none at all, despite it being one of the more important nutrients in that context.

Other sources exist, including liver and some legumes, but nothing approaches egg yolk for concentration.

The yolk point

This matters, because the habit of eating egg whites only persists.

The choline is in the yolk. So is most of the vitamin D, the vitamin A, the B12 and the healthy fats. Discarding the yolk removes most of the nutritional value and leaves you with the protein alone.

The cholesterol concern that drove this practice has not held up in the way it was once presented, and for most people whole eggs are the better choice.

Where eggs sit against other options

Some comparisons I am asked about frequently, and my reasoning:

Eggs over Greek yoghurt, for protein content and choline, though I genuinely like Greek yoghurt.

Eggs over broccoli, for protein and choline, though broccoli earns its place for entirely different reasons.

Eggs over sardines, marginally, mostly for versatility. You can cook eggs in a great many ways, which matters for whether you actually eat them consistently. Both are excellent.

Sardines over salmon, because sardines contain more vitamin D and are considerably easier to obtain.

The caveat I always add

Every food in these comparisons is healthy. I am choosing which is more useful for a specific purpose, not identifying a good food and a bad one.

A balanced diet containing all of them is what supports hormonal health. The comparisons are a way of thinking, not a shopping list.

This article is nutrition education, not medical advice.

Tina Chagoury is a licensed clinical dietitian specialising in women's hormonal health, and the creator of the Hormone Reset Method™. Learn more and start here.