The Great Egg Debate

by: Courtney Dwyer
Eggs are the greatest food ever created by god to nourish our brains and our bodies. And Eggs have come to my attention, a lot recently, in the form of egg whites. It seems like there are a lot of people still concerned about the health “risks” associated with eating the whole egg, and therefore wanting to only consume the “whites”. The stores even go so far as to sell just the whites in plastic containers next to the carton of eggs to support those consumers eating just the whites. If I may…PLEASE EAT THE WHOLE EGG!

What the egg represents in itself is a perfect package of nutrients that changes into a living being, the chicken, and wouldn’t be able to do so if it didn’t contain all of the essential nutrients that help a body to thrive. In one egg there are 6 grams of protein, with all 9 essential amino acids, and 5 grams of good fat including 1.5 grams of saturated fats.

Now if the words; SATURATED FAT scares you, please come to Dawn’s ABC’s of health class to get further clarification on the difference between naturally occurring saturated fat and the kind that is man made, & how to tell the difference. Personally, I welcome this fat with open arms since learning over the years how much it helps me to thrive. Eggs are good for the EYES because they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, and according to one study, may help prevent macular degeneration due to these carotenoids. Both nutrients are more READILY AVAILABLE in eggs than in any other source.

I’m sure you have heard the scary word “CHOLESTEROL” as being one of the reasons to stay away from eggs. New research is surfacing that contradicts that false information done by Harvard who found “no significant link between egg consumption and heart disease’ and according to another study ‘regular consumption of eggs may help prevent blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks.” Other new research shows that “regular consumption of two eggs a day does not effect a person’s lipid profile (cholesterol level), and may in fact improve it, showing that dietary cholesterol DOESN’T raise cholesterol.” YES!!!

Eat your Eggs! Another significant piece of information; listen closely egg white lovers, the yoke of the egg, that’s right the yoke, not whites, is where something called choline is found in eggs. Choline is a very important nutrient that is the building block for important neurotransmitters in the brain and it also helps regulate the rest of the nervous & cardiovascular system as well as regulate the brain! EGGS ARE BRAIN FOOD!!!!

One egg yolk contains 300 micrograms of choline. Did you know that in Asian cultures, they have they’re pregnant moms eating 12 eggs a day!!! They want their babies to be smart!! No wonder that culture is so stereotyped as being smart! Their babies are fed brain food before they even enter into the world. They’re getting brain food as their brains are being developed! So that’s the secret! From personal experience being in very challenging classes for nursing and medicine, when I eat eggs for breakfast or otherwise, I can notice a difference in concentration compared to when I don’t eat eggs.

So egg white lovers; you’re missing out!! You’re missing out on key brain food that may help you focus better or be quicker witted, or be anything better that requires brain use! (By the way, that’s everything!) Eggs could be a super food! I recently discovered that eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D! So you want to improve your immune system for this flu season…EAT EGGS!

Eggs may also help to prevent breast cancer, according to one study, “women who consumed at least 6 eggs per week lowered their risk of breast cancer by 44%”. Besides all of these amazing qualities, eggs promote healthy hair and nails with its high sulphur content and the wide array of vitamins and minerals, including B12 (And as previously mentioned, Vitamin D). According to a study, “many people found their hair growing faster after eggs were added into the diet, especially if they were previously deficient in foods containing sulphur or B12.” So those people wanting their hair & nails to grow faster; don’t look to those synthetic vitamins, EAT EGGS!

I know one of my girlfriends who will be happy to hear that information. With this great nutrition that comes with eggs, I must say, please get the best quality eggs you can find and afford. Chickens that are fed a diet that it wouldn’t naturally eat aren’t as high in essential nutrients then eggs by chickens fed grass and bugs. I have been blessed to have a mom who goes out to farms and ranches to get the best of the best free ranch, organic eggs. Oh Man! Are those eggs good! High quality eggs will have an orange yolk instead of yellow by the way.

Do what you can though. There are many grocers out there that have great organic, free range eggs that are easily accessible. Again, Knowledge is power! Discover for yourself the benefits, or deficiencies, that are in the foods you eat on a regular basis. Can you tell I love eggs? In the words of Reading Rainbow (I grew up watching that show), you don’t have to take my word for it. To your Health!