While we have an abundance of food choices and can adapt our diets as we please, there are still groups of people on the other side of the world who are starving, with some even dying from lack of food.

Hunger is a terrifying issue, much like poverty. We may not be able to fully grasp it, but if we experience even a little hunger, we feel so distressed that we must find something to eat. Therefore, "hunger" is a global problem that the United Nations has included as a key point in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically as Goal 2 out of 17, which is to eradicate hunger (Zero Hunger).

Ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture is a clear and focused definition of this goal. Thailand has collaborated with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to participate in the Zero Hunger Challenge (ZHC).

The research titled "The Effect of Continuous Egg Supplement on Personalized Nutri-Omics in Primary School Children1" by Dr. Korapat Mayurasakorn, a nutrition expert and lecturer at Siriraj Hospital's Faculty of Medicine, is one of the outputs supported by the Agricultural Research Development Agency (ARDA), an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives that is a driving force behind this global initiative.

The research team studied the eating behaviors of children, changes in metabolomics2, alterations in blood protein and cholesterol levels, cholesterol size patterns, and measured growth after systematically and continuously consuming eggs. They provided students aged 8-14 in rural areas with two boiled eggs per day (five days a week) for nine months, alongside their lunch meals.

Even though we often say that Thailand does not lack food, it is found that over 500,000 children in the country suffer from malnutrition due to protein and energy deficiencies. This is a significant indicator of the health status of youth and has become a public health issue for the nation, as it affects children's development and growth. This is a crucial challenge for this research. The findings concluded that consuming eggs not only increases protein levels in the body but also helps correct abnormal cholesterol levels in the sample group.

Before we can "choose to eat," we must all first "have access to food" that is healthily equitable. Simple foods like "eggs" can help address malnutrition issues. This is yet another achievement that will help propel Thailand towards meeting the United Nations' goals by 2030.

1English title: The Effect of Continuous Egg Supplement on Personalized Nutri-Omics in Primary School Children – SI-EGG Study
2Metabolomics is the study of small molecules called metabolites, substances used in the creation and breakdown within living cells (translated by the author). Source: ebi.ac.uk

Image Source: Unsplash/Louis Hansel

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SOURCE: tcdc