Eggs are truly nature's multivitamin ♡
They are full of vitamins A, D, E, and a range of B vitamins. Eggs are an oval-shaped treasure trove of minerals:- calcium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, potassium, sodium, copper, iodine, magnesium and iron; and some more obscure, but nonetheless vital micronutrients for our health including;- choline, lecithin, lutein and zeaxanthin.
If ever there was a genuine 'superfood' the egg is it.
After 30 years of demonizing the humble egg, Joanna Blythman, a British investigative food journalist writes in the Guardian:- "like offenders participating in restorative justice schemes, we need the civil servants and scientific advisers who unnerved us about eggs to say mea culpa, and reflect on how their adherence to bankrupt “healthy eating” orthodoxy sent one of nature’s cleverest food packages into nutritional exile.
"It’s hard to think of any food that can compete with eggs in overall health terms. They provide us with high-quality protein that contains all nine essential amino acids in the precise proportions required by the body for optimum growth and maintenance. Eggs outperform all other proteins from both animal and plant sources.
"I do it not only because I cherish their near-magical cooking properties, but also as a two-fingered salute to a dogmatic government dietetic establishment that has pumped taxpayers’ money into convincing us that this most perfect of natural foods is something we should restrict, even fear."
Eggs from the perspective of a nutrition educator
Someone I admire greatly in the nutrition space is Michael Joseph. Michael is a nutrition educator with a Master's degree in Nutrition Education with a focus on health optimization through nutrition and overall lifestyle. His website www.nutritionadvance.com is full of peer reviewed research articles without industry bias. I have chosen to highlight his Top 5 Amazing Health Benefits of Eggs.
This article discusses the health benefits of eggs, the nutrients they contain and their importance to our body. Michael also shares some great low-carb egg-based recipes.
"In truth" he says... "I could list about 50 health benefits of eggs here. But in the interest of keeping this a little shorter in size, here are the top five."
Health benefits of eggs
Health Benefit #1 – Eggs Are Extremely Nutrient-Dense
Eggs are virtually unmatched when it comes to nutrient density. While some foods provide a large amount of a nutrient, eggs provide a moderate amount of almost everything.
Health Benefit #2 – Eggs Help Reduce Heart Disease Risk
Contrary to what you may have heard, eggs have a range of beneficial effects on heart disease risk factors. Consumption of eggs relates to an overall healthier cholesterol profile.
Health Benefit #3 – Eggs Are a Dietary Source of Choline
Eggs are one of the only dietary sources of choline. Deficiency of this important nutrient can cause a wide range of health problems including diabetes and even DNA damage.
Health Benefit #4 – Eggs Are Beneficial For Eyesight
Eggs contain a wide range of beneficial compounds for eyesight including lutein and zeaxanthin which are much needed to help prevent macular degeneration!
Health Benefit #5 – Eggs Are a Good Source of Vitamin D
Michael goes on to explain that "while most eggs look similar, they can be very different in regard to nutritional value. To get the full health benefits of eggs, we need to consider the type of egg we eat. For example, eggs from pasture-raised chickens have an overall healthier nutrient profile."
Are eggs high in cholesterol?
First of all, the answer is yes - eggs are very high in dietary cholesterol.
However, it’s important to realize that dietary cholesterol is not usually harmful and like Joanna Blythman, Michael knows that despite being demonized for decades, a vast array of evidence shows that dietary cholesterol has very little relation to cholesterol in the blood.
Thanks for the information Joanna and Michael :-) Time to eat an egg or two!
If you would like to read more about the misinformation surrounding cholesterol please take a look at my recent article Cholesterol - Why are we Testing? Dave Feldman debunks the Cholesterol Myths once and for all.
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