Eggs have been good for us, then bad for us, and now good for us again! Who can keep up with all these changes?? It should be noted that eggs are one of the most common consumed foods in the world.

Lets look at the powerhouse of nutrition found in eggs.

While most of the protein is found in the white portion of the the egg; the fat, vitamins, and minerals are found in the yolk. Eggs also contain all 9 essential amino acids, these are the ones your body cannot create and must be consumed in the diet. Amino acids are the building blocks for the body which are essential for healing wounds and repairing tissue, especially the muscles, bones, skin, and hair.

Now let’s look at the other nutrients found in eggs:

• Vitamin A helps maintain healthy skin and eye tissue.
• Vitamin B12 helps protect against heart disease and is important in the normal functioning of the nervous system. Two large eggs provides 22% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for B12.
• Vitamin D strengthens bones and teeth, and may help protect against certain cancers and autoimmune diseases. Eggs are one of only a few food sources of vitamin D but there is a catch to this. It is pasture-raised chickens that roam in the sunlight that produce eggs with vitamin D; the vitamin D level can be 3 to 4 times higher than eggs from chickens raised indoors! Check out this post on the importance of vitamin D if you would like to learn more about vitamin D
• Vitamin E plays a role in maintaining good health and preventing disease; it is also very good for skin health.
• Choline plays a role in brain development and function; it is found in the yolk of the egg.
• Selenium works with vitamin E to act as an antioxidant to help prevent the breakdown of body tissue. Two large eggs can provide 44% of the RDI.

Another benefit of eggs includes antioxidants found in the egg yolk that may prevent age-related macular degeneration; and all these vitamins and nutrients are highly bioavailable – in other words, your body can easily use them!

I would also encourage you to try different types of eggs, and I don’t mean from different breeds of chickens; although this can be good too as each breed will produce different nutrient levels. I am actually talking about quail, duck, and goose eggs! Each has a different nutritional makeup and getting more variety of foods in your diet is very beneficial. Check out these nutritional facts for each type of egg.

Thus far I have found duck eggs from a local farm, but am still looking for quail and goose. I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive to try the duck eggs just because I have never had them before. They taste pretty much like chicken eggs but the size of the yolk is HUGE! Are you sensitive to eggs or have some sort of negative reaction to them? Sometimes, trying a different type of egg won’t produce the negative reactions. Now if you have a food allergy, then obviously avoid eggs!

Egg tip of the day: Did you know there is a right and a wrong way for eggs to be stored in the carton? Yep, eggs should be stored pointed end down to keep the yolk centered and keep any bacteria as far as possible from the yolk, which is far more likely to be contaminated by any bacteria that enters the egg than the non-bacteria friendly white.  Air and bacteria enter the egg through the blunt end into the air sac located there.

Eggs are a great source of many nutrients, especially if you eat pasture-raised eggs that have come from chickens that have been able to forage for their food and able to be out and enjoy the sunshine. Get to know your local farmer, visit their farm, support their business, and ultimately you are investing in your health.

Have you tried quail, duck, or goose eggs? Did you notice any difference? Leave your comment below. 

Also, I would love if you would subscribe to my blog as I consider it a privilege to share this information with you. I provide a weekly post which can include health and wellness info, recipes, and so much more. 

Be Blessed,

Heather

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Sources

• Applegate, E. (2013 June 14). “Introduction: nutritional and functional roles of eggs in the diet”. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Pages 4955 – 4985.
• Eggs, pasture-raised. The World’s Healthiest Foods. Retrieved from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=92.
• Mulhollem, J. (2019, April 17) “Research show eggs from pastured chickens may be more nutritious”. Penn State. Retrieved from https://news.psu.edu/story/166143/2010/07/20/research-shows-eggs-pastured-chickens-may-be-more-nutritious.
• Ruxton, E. Derbyshire, S. Gibson, (2010) “The nutritional properties and health benefits of eggs”, Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 40 Issue: 3, pp.263-279, https://doi.org/10.1108/00346651011043961
• Watson, R.R. (2008 June 8). Eggs and health promotion. John Wiley and Sons.