Many of us remember the marketing campaign touting eggs as “incredible.” Let’s understand why they truly are incredible.
Eggs are not only a great, complete source of protein, but they also contain many nutrients in their natural form, which means our body utilizes those nutrients optimally, even in small amounts. Some of those nutrients are selenium, vitamin D, B12, phosphorus, riboflavin, vitamin A and folate. There is protein in both the white and the yolk, but the yolk is the source of most of the nutrients and also healthy fat, which our body needs!
Because eggs are an excellent source of protein (about 7 grams of protein per egg), let’s talk about our protein needs. We need protein for muscle maintenance and strength, organ processes and overall health. The recommendation for the amount of protein to consume ranges from .36 (prevent deficiency) up to .65 grams (increased exercise and healthy aging) per pound of body weight. Protein helps to keep us strong and healthy and aids us as we exercise to maintain our muscle and bone mass.
There can be a lot of confusion on all the labeling of eggs: cage-free, free-range and pasture-raised.
Which eggs are best, nutritionally, according to those product labels? Caged and cage-free eggs do not have outside access, which does not allow foraging and natural activities of the hens, which makes a difference in the health of the hen and the nutritional quality of the egg. While eggs maintain some basic nutritional components, regardless of the way they are produced, free-range and pasture-raised eggs typically show differences in nutrient content. These typically include more vitamin A, omega-3, vitamin E and beta-carotene.
While eggs contain cholesterol, the cholesterol in food is not what can cause our own cholesterol to increase, so that should not be a concern with egg consumption.
Good quality sources of protein are essential, and including eggs in our diet is a nutritionally smart way to maintain or even improve our health. So let’s get crackin’!
