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‘How Much Do You Know About …’

Welcome to the second in a blog ‘mini-series’ that will explore a variety of topics, in accessible, not-too-time-consuming, bit-sized chunks.

Designed to offer a quick look at everyday subjects and bring you up to date with facts, current thinking and ideas.

EGGS!

The Facts:

  • A large egg contains about 70 calories, 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of healthy fats
  • Studies show that eating up to three eggs a day is perfectly safe
  • Egg protein has just the right mix of essential amino acids needed by humans to build tissues
  • An average hen lays around 250 to 270 eggs a year
  • Around 1.2 trillion eggs are produced across the world every year for eating
  • The average person consumes 173 eggs a year
  • Eggs are naturally full of high quality protein, vitamin D, B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B12, iodine, selenium and other essential dietary vitamins and minerals
  • There is no conclusive evidence to link egg consumption with increased risk of coronary heart disease and UK health and heart organisations have lifted the previous limits linked to the cholesterol found in eggs
  • Eggs are high in cholesterol, but for the majority of people, eating them does not adversely affect the cholesterol in their blood
  • Eating eggs consistently leads to elevated levels of HDL (the “good”) cholesterol, which is linked to a lower risk of many diseases
  • Eggs are high in both the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin which are very important for eye health and can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts
  • Choosing Omega-3 enriched or pasture fed eggs (laid by hens that have access to grass) which contain higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, is an effective way to reduce blood triglycerides (a factor in heart disease)

Good To Know:

Boiled, poached, fried, scrambled, baked, omelette – we all have our favourite way of eating eggs.  The way you prepare them can affect their nutrient profile in a number of ways – both good and bad!

  • cooking an egg in general makes the protein in them 91% digestible  as opposed to raw eggs at only 51% digestible
  • cooked eggs help make the vitamin biotin/Vit B7 more available for your body to use
  • generally, shorter cooking times (even at high temperatures) helps to retain more nutrients
  • all the egg cooking methods above are good and healthy but poaching and boiling are considered the healthiest options as they do not require any additions such as milk or butter
  • don’t overcook them – the longer and higher the heat the more nutrients may be lost

And Finally:

  • if you can’t tell whether an egg in the fridge is raw or hardboiled then try spinning it! Raw eggs wobble as the liquid inside shifts, but hardboiled eggs spin smoothly!
  • Chef hats traditionally have pleats equal to the number of ways that you can cook an egg!
  • If you need to check if an egg is still fresh or not, put the egg into a bowl of cold water. If it sinks to the bottom and lays flat on one side then it’s very fresh; if it’s a few weeks old but still ok to eat, it will stand on one end at the bottom of the bowl and ifit floats to the surface, don’t eat it!

Delicious, nutritious, versatile, quick and inexpensive. Eggs definitely tick all the right boxes and they are also deemed nature’s most perfect food – packed with protein, amino acids and healthy fats.

October 7, 2019

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