Tuesday, 29 May 2012

Egg-sposed : Myths & Facts

Are eggs good for you? Are they bad for you? How many is too much? Can I only eat egg whites?

These are things I hear on a regular basis & there is so much misinformation about eggs so I’m going to start clearing it up!

Egg stats
  • a large whole egg contains roughly 6g of protein 
  • contains choline (essential for cell membrane function, neurotransmission, prevents homosycstine build up), lutein (essential for eye & skin health) and zeaxanthin (carotenoid important for vision) 
  • contains just about every vitamin and most minerals (except vitamin C)

Myth: Eating eggs raises your cholesterol levels.
Truth Dietary cholesterol found in eggs has little to do with the amount of cholesterol in your body. Roughly ¼ of your body's blood cholesterol comes from your diet and the other ¾ of blood cholesterol is produced by your body. In fact Saturated and trans fats have much bigger effects on blood cholesterol levels. Studies show that people with high cholesterol, eating one egg a day, have shown no increase in their body’s cholesterol levels.  

Myth: Eggs are better stored on the bench top for better cooking results
Fact: Refrigerating eggs reduces the risk of salmonella & keeps them fresh

Myth: Raw eggs have more protein than cooked eggs
Fact: A large egg contains 6g of protein served raw OR cooked
Fact #2: Cooked eggs have 40% more protein than raw because Biotin (found in eggs yolks) is a b complex vitamin essential for cell growth, the metabolism of fats, and energy production. Raw eggs eliminates biotin because of avidin (found in egg whites) is a biotin binding protein when consumed in its raw form, thus cooking the egg avoids the possibility of biotin deficiency.  

Myth: Egg whites have more protein & nutrients than whole eggs
Fact: FALSE!!!! Egg whites less protein than compared with a whole egg, most of the sodium and very little of anything else. Egg yolks are one of the most nutritious foods known to man! They contain almost all vitamins & minerals our diets require (minus Vitamin C). The whole egg is ALWAYS better from a nutritional point of view, period.




Whole egg (per 100g) Egg White (per 100g)
Protein 12.4g 11.6g
Energy 583kJ 204KJ
Fat 9.5g 0g

Myth: One egg every day too much
Fact: FALSE; majority of people can’t have too many eggs. Those with significantly high cholesterol would be limited to one a day. Eggs are an amazing source of protein & nutrients that our bodies thrive on.

Great ways to have eggs:
  • boiled as a snack 
  • scrambled with smoked salmon, spinach tomato & mushrooms for breakfast 
  • frittata with vegetables & a side of salad as a quick dinner
  • omelette packed full of your favourite vegetables at any meal

If you are struggling to get enough protein in your diet contact us at admin@naednutrition.com.au 

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