Egg Nutrition
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| Egg Nutrition |
Concerns about the “dangerous” cholesterol content in egg yolks have been debunked. Recent large, long-term studies have elucidated that even a high degree of egg consumption does not increase risk for cardiovascular disease or Alzheimer’s disease—in fact, eggs actually boost cognitive function and markers for cardiovascular health. One study, performed in men and women with metabolic syndrome, found that with a reduced-carbohydrate diet, three whole eggs per day reduced insulin resistance, raised HDL, and increased the size of LDL particles to a much greater degree than the equivalent supplementation with egg whites.
In an embryo, the nervous system (which includes the brain) is among the very first systems to develop. Therefore, an egg yolk is perfectly designed by nature to contain everything needed to grow a healthy, optimally performing brain. This helps make eggs, and especially the yolks, one of the most nutritious foods you can consume. They contain a little bit of nearly every vitamin and mineral required by the human body, including vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, and others. They also provide an abundant source of choline, which is important for both healthy, flexible cell membranes and a learning and memory neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.
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| Egg Nutrition |
And egg yolks
contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids shown to protect the brain and improve neural processing speed. In one Tufts University study, eating just 1.3 egg yolks per day for 4.5 weeks increased blood levels of zeaxanthin by 114 to 142 percent and lutein by 28 to 50 percent—wow!
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| Egg Nutrition |
How to use:
Enjoy liberal consumption of whole eggs. Scramble them, poach them, fry them (in butter or coconut oil), or soft-boil them. Since egg yolks contain many valuable fats and cholesterol that are vulnerable to oxidation, I recommend keeping the yolk runny, or more custard-like, as opposed to cooking it through (hard-boiled, for example). For scrambles and omelets, this means using low heat and keeping the eggs creamy or soft as opposed to dry and hard.
How to buy: With so many egg varieties available, it can be confusing to know which ones to buy—and it will often depend on your food budget. Here is a simple metric to help guide your choice
Pasture-raised > Omega-3-enriched > Free-range > Conventional
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| Egg Nutrition |
Regardless of variety, eggs are always a low-carb, inexpensive, and highly nutritious choice (even conventional eggs, if that’s all your budget allows). They are perfect for breakfast, but can be great with any meal— even dinner. And, most important, eat the yolks, folks!
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| Egg Nutrition |
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