"Eggs are so nutritious that they're often referred to as 'nature's multivitamin'."- Kris Gunnars, BSc
Egg Facts
Think about this: The nutrients in one whole egg are enough to turn a single fertilized cell into an entire baby chicken. Pretty thought provoking, right?
In fact, one large egg has Vitamin B12 (9% of the RDA) Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin (15% of the RDA), Vitamin A (6% of the RDA), Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic acid (7% of the RDA, and Selenium (22% of the RDA).
In addition, eggs also have small amounts of almost every vitamin and mineral required by the human body, including calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, vitamin E, folate and more.
The interesting thing is that ALL of these amazing nutrients are found in the yolk of the egg!
Yolk or White?
OK so the yolk of the egg is pretty amazing with all it's nutrients. What about the white? Actually, the white contains only protein. But it isn't just any old protein!
Egg whites have high-quality proteins with a perfect amino profile. These proteins are the main building blocks of the body and serve both structural and functional purposes.
Actually nine of these amino acids (protein) cannot be produced by the body and therefore have to be obtained from our diet. These particular amino acids are knows as 'Essential' amino acids.
Eggs are among the best source of protein in the diet. The measure of protein quality (as determined by its relative amounts of essential amino acids) is often evaluated by comparing it to eggs, which are given the perfect score of 100. Isn't that amazing?
What About?
One would have to ask, "What about the cholesterol level in the egg?" One large egg contains about 200 mg of cholesterol, which is a lot compared to most other foods.
Your liver actually produces cholesterol every single day. Research has shown that most of the cholesterol in our body is made by our liver-it doesn't come from the cholesterol we eat. The liver is stimulated to make cholesterol primarily by saturated fat and trans fat in our diet, not dietary cholesterol. But a large egg contains little saturated fat, about 1.5 grams.
Many studies now show that eggs actually improve your cholesterol profile. They raise HDL "the good" cholesterol and they tend to change the LDL "the bad" cholesterol to a large sub-type which is not as strongly associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
Bottom Line
Additional benefits of eggs include Choline (one of the B vitamins), an important nutrient for the brain. Choline is a component of cell membranes. It is an essential nutrient that few people get enough of.
Eggs are also loaded with Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes. These two antioxidants significantly reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.
Eggs also score high in the 'satiety' index, a measure of how much certain foods contribute to satiety. A whole egg has about 80 calories, about 5 grams of fat (most of which is the healthy monounsaturated type) and about 6 grams of protein.
To top things off, eggs are cheap, taste awesome and they are adaptable to all sorts of dishes that can be eaten any time of the day. And, when properly refrigerated, eggs can stay fresh for about three weeks after you bring them home.
To sum it up, eggs are one of the most nutritious and versatile foods around.
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