Eggs: All They’re Cracked Up To Be
There are a lot of misconceptions about eggs. It’s often said that eggs are too high in fat and cholesterol to be eaten regularly, but whole eggs are actually packed with nutrients and can be part of a healthful diet.
The yellow egg yolk contains a lot of important nutrients.
Egg yolks are high in carotenoids. Carotenoids are antioxidants found in yellow and orange foods – check out our post on antioxidants to learn more about them here. Egg yolks also have a nutrient called choline. Although most people haven’t heard of it, choline is an essential nutrient that is used for many processes in your body, such as making acetylcholine for muscle control, mood regulation, and more. Egg yolks have one of the highest amounts of choline per serving of any food. Egg yolks also have folate, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein.
Egg whites are mostly protein and contain all of the nine essential amino acids. They also have potassium and small amounts of other minerals. Combining the yolk and egg white, a whole egg is just 70 calories, a good source of protein, and full of nutrients.
Egg yolks are fairly high in cholesterol, with about 60% of the recommended daily amount in 1 egg. Mayo Clinic explains that the impact of one egg per day on your blood cholesterol is minimal. However, both Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association warn that eating eggs with yolks regularly may be too much cholesterol for people at risk of heart disease or for diabetics. Eggs contain saturated fat which may also be limited for people in these groups. If you are in either of these groups, you should talk to your dietitian or doctor before regularly eating eggs.
Whole eggs can be part of a balanced diet and can be incorporated into your meals in a variety of ways.
Try them out for an eggs-cellent meal!
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