Boiled, poached or scrambled, eggs are one of the most versatile and nutritious foods in your kitchen. Both the white and yolk are good sources of inexpensive, high-quality protein, needed to build and maintain your muscles, organs, skin and tissue, antibodies, enzymes and hormones. In fact, eggs are thought of as a “complete” source of protein as they contain all eight essential amino acids.
What’s more, eggs are packed with essential vitamins and minerals. They provide a little bit of almost every nutrient we need, including Vitamins A, B5, B12, D and E, and minerals like choline, iodine, iron, phosphorus and selenium.
With their incredible nutritional content, eggs play a major role in a healthy, balanced diet, and could boost your health. Eggs:
- Contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that help keep your eyes healthy and protect against macular degeneration and cataracts.
- Are one the best sources of choline; an essential nutrient used to build cell membranes and enable brain development in the foetus. It also enhances memory function into old age.
- Are one of the few natural food sources of Vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption and maintaining healthy bones and teeth.
- Can raise levels of HDL “good” cholesterol. Higher levels of HDL have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Some brands of eggs contain Omega-3 fatty acids, known to reduce triglycerides (bad fats) in the blood. This can also slash your risk for heart problems.
- Can keep you fuller for longer, which can prevent unhealthy snacking and reduce your overall calorie intake. This little side benefit can help with weight loss and help you maintain a healthy weight.
The cholesterol question
Eggs are known for being high in cholesterol and have for years been deemed as “unhealthy”. A single egg has 212 mg, which is more than half of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg. Still, the cholesterol in eggs has almost no effect on your blood cholesterol levels. Foods that are high in saturated fat have more of an impact on your blood cholesterol levels than foods containing cholesterol. Eggs are low in saturated fat, so they shouldn’t raise your LDL “bad” cholesterol levels.
The main concern is how you prepare the egg, what you eat with it, and what you eat for the rest of the day. This may be the culprit for high cholesterol levels and not your egg consumption.
You can safely eat one or two eggs several times a week.
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