Eggs Good or Bad

I have said this before, eggs have gotten a bad rap because of all the hype about cholesterol. Once again, cholesterol is not the problem, but inflammation. That is another topic. Right now, I just want to talk about eggs.

There is no correlation between egg eating and heart attacks. They contain lots of nutrients which include protein and vitamins. In addition if they are from chickens that are nest free - free range, they are very high in omega 3 which is actually an anti-inflammatory. So in fact they could help in the prevention of heart disease.

Eggs - Should I Just Eat The Whites?

I mentioned before that eggs have gotten a bad rap for many years and many reasons. Again, you want to read those labels because you're looking for free range chickens to be laying the eggs that you eat. The whites are the best part, however, you should also know the benefits of the yolks and there is one very specific one.

The yolk of the egg contains lutein and xeazanthin both of which are important for eye health and helping to prevent macular degeneration. But both of these need fats to be absorbed and that is also contained in the yolk of the egg. There is another reason to eat the yolk. It also contains phosphatidylcholine which is an important nutrient for good brain health.

Egg Labels

Eggs that are labels organic are the only ones that meet USDA standards and regulations. These eggs come from chickens that are allowed to roam freely outside. They are fed organic grain which does not contain any pesticides and the chickens are not given antibiotics.

Cage free eggs, just means that the chickens are not kept in a cage. It does not mean that the chicken ever sees the light of day - in other words they may still be kept confined in an enclosed area, just not a cage. The environment and eggs are not audited by a third party.

Use caution when the label says free range, natural, no pesticides or no antibiotics. These terms are not regulated and may be put on any label. The only term that is regulated is organic.

Egg Storage

Eggs should be stored in their original containers for a couple of reasons. I know we all have the nifty little egg container spot on the doors of our refrigerators, but this is not the best place to put your eggs. First of all the air at the door is warmer and if you are in and out of the refrigerator a great deal, this will not keep your eggs as cold as they should be. Secondly, eggs stored in your refrigerator door will absorb odors from other foods in the refrigerator.

Be cautious of leaving eggs unrefrigerated even for short periods of time. This can diminish freshness and can also result in the growth of organisms like salmonella. When I was in Egypt a number of years ago, I saw eggs - literally mounds of them in the open markets in the sun. I was very careful not to eat eggs in that country, but some of the people I was with ate them and became extremely ill. So be careful with this.

You can store raw egg whites for up to a week in the refrigerator. Yolks only keep about 3 days in the refrigerator. A better way is to freeze them. Don't freeze them whole in the shell, but crack the open. You can separate them or just freeze them in a container. They will last about 12 months in the freezer.

Egg Facts

The color of an egg shell is determined by the breed of the hen. White eggs are the most common, but we have all seen brown eggs. These are usually more expensive because the hens are bigger and require more feed. The fact to know is that the shell color has no effect on the nutritional value of the egg.

Here's a fact you may not know, the cloudier the egg white, ther fresher the egg. Aging causes the egg white to become more clear and thinner.

The color of the yolk can tell you a great deal about the egg. Deep yellow yolks are usually from chickens that are fed yellow corn and alfalfa meal. Hens that are fed barley or wheat produce pale yellow yolks. Deep orange yellow yolks come from free range chickens who are allowed to forage and eat a variety of grains.

Eggs - Good Food

Eggs contain many nutrients that can helps us be healthier. They are an excellent source of Vitamin B12 and also the antioxidant lutein. Lutein is very important in terms of our eye health.

The hype has always been that eggs are have too much cholesterol in them. Here is the facts from research. The effects of the cholesterol in 1 large egg eaten daily has shown to have no effect on the person developing heart disease.

The other things about eggs is to look at the free range eggs, which includes a diet of natural nutrients for the chickens, as well as meal which is enhance to provide more Omega 3. These can actually be very beneficial for the heart healthy or for someone who already has heart disease.

Eggs - Bad Rap

Eggs have gotten a bad rap for years as a maker of "high cholesterol" and we should not eat them. NOT! Knowing the facts about eggs will make them seem like a much healthier food, which they are.

I want to just give you some facts about eggs. Of course, the best are the ones from free range chickens and are organic. The organic part has to do with what the chickens are eating or being fed. Obviously, free range chickens are eating more natural food instead of just the food given them with all kinds of things to make the eggs bigger and the hens to produce more eggs.

SO what's in an egg nutritionally. There are about 70 calories in a large egg. Eggs are a great protein source, containing about 6 grams of protein mostly found in the white of the egg. There are about 5 grams of fat with 2 of those grams being saturated fats and this is all found in the yolk. One of the things that I often recommend to people is to do 1 whole egg and 1 egg white to make a small omelet. If you want a slightly larger omelet, just add another egg white.

More on eggs tomorrow.