If your child ate this every day, they might grow taller.

People say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If a child eats eggs for breakfast, that may be especially true.

Eggs are an important part of a young child’s diet and can help them grow taller, according to research.

Researchers at Washington University looked at newborns in Ecuador who were between six and nine months old. Some randomly chosen participants were told to eat one egg every day for six months, while others were put in a “control” group that didn’t eat any eggs.

In the end, it was found that babies who ate eggs regularly had a 47% lower risk of stunting, which is a slow growth in height. Also, 74% were less likely than kids in the control group to be underweight.

“We were surprised by how effective this intervention turned out to be,” said Lora Iannotti, who was in charge of the study. “The size of the effect was 0.63, which was bigger than the 0.39 average around the world.”

It’s important to note that the people in the test group were limited in how much sugar they could eat, which could have also affected the results. But since eggs are a complete meal and often come in safe packaging, this study offers a solution to malnutrition in places where people don’t have access to enough food.

“Our study carefully tracked allergic reactions to eggs, but during the weekly home visits, carers did not see or hear about any problems,” says Iannotti. “Eggs seem to be a good way for children in developing countries to get the nutrition they need, and this is recommended.”

The results of the study were published in the journal Pediatrics.

Eggs also help kids in the following ways:

Brain development
Eggs are also a great source of choline, which is a nutrient that helps the brain grow and work well. Choline builds the membranes of brain cells and helps make neurotransmitters, which are important for learning and remembering.

Weight management
Eggs can help kids stay at a healthy weight if they are part of their diet. They are high in protein and low in carbohydrates, which can help kids feel full for a longer time. This can help you eat fewer calories overall and stop you from eating too much.

Eye care
Lutein and zeaxanthin are two antioxidants that are good for eye health and are found in eggs. Eggs can help make sure that kids get enough of these important nutrients, which are good for their eyes.