Eggs! Friend or Foe?

From a nutritional perspective, chicken eggs are one of the best compact foods found in nature, providing 11 different vitamins and minerals, high quality protein, healthy fats (including omegas 3) and important antioxidants.  Aside from this, eggs are tasty, convenient and good value for money, making them an excellent part of a well-balanced, healthy diet. 

However, over the years, this nutritional powerhouse has had a scrambled reputation, as some reports emerged that said eggs were actually bad for us. About 20 years ago, some dietary naysayers decided that the cholesterol in eggs was translating to artery-clogging cholesterol in people’s blood and promptly laid them on the ‘bad food’ list. But good news, frittata fans: it appears to be a myth. Research supporting the health benefits of eggs is stacking up and several studies, including a recent one in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, have found no link in healthy people between eggs and either heart attack or stroke.

So, the general consensus now is that the ‘incredible, edible egg’ stands alone in beneficial elements and is now promoted as a very healthy food. In fact, very few foods share the same diverse nutrient makeup as available in a single egg.

However, every egg is not created equal. There are many varieties to choose from, such as Caged, Cage-Free, Free-Range, Organic, Vegetarian and Pasteurized. As a general principle, it’s best to get any source of animal protein from an environment that is as natural as possible, meaning the animal was able to feed on foods that its body could tolerate, in conditions that were not overly stressful. For egg-producing chickens, this environment is often called “cage-free” or “free-range.”  Chickens packaged tightly in cages can’t exercise and undergo stress, which lowers their immune systems and raises their likelihood of disease and infection. Often this means that these chickens are given regular antibiotics to help keep down infection rates. However, antibiotics may lead to stronger, more resistant bacteria in the feces of the chicken and even in that of the farmer who raises them. This presents two big potential problems for the consumer: 1) antibiotics in the chicken meat and eggs that could aggravate drug allergies, and 2) super resistant bugs.

Cage-Free Eggs

Cage-free eggs are eggs from birds that are not raised in cages, but usually in an open barn. The hens have bedding material such as pine shavings on the floor, and they are allowed perches and nest boxes to lay their eggs.  However, depending on the farm, they may still be at close quarters with many other hens – just not in cages. This can affect their ability to exercise and therefore their ability to produce healthy, disease-free eggs.

Free-Range Eggs

Free-range eggs are laid from hens that were allowed to roam outside, picking what they wanted to eat. Smaller farms may keep birds outside under a canopy area. They may travel in and out of a barn at free will or spend some portion of their day roaming outdoors. This extra sunshine may help explain why free-range eggs are often reported to have higher vitamin D levels! However, free-range doesn’t automatically imply that the hens were fed any differently than on normal commercial farms. The label ‘free-range’ does not describe feed supplies, which means that free-range hens can be fed the same animal-derived by products or GMO crops as in other non-organic farms. This is also the main reason why free-range eggs are usually cheaper than organic eggs.

Organic Eggs

Organic eggs are laid from hens that may be kept in any kind of caging system, but generally are free-range. They eat an organic feed and don’t receive vaccines or antibiotics. In order to qualify for organic certification, the grains used for the hens’ diets must be produced on land that has been free from the use of toxic and persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers for at least three years. Genetically engineered crops are not permitted, and hens must be maintained without hormones, antibiotics, and other drugs. Trace amounts of pesticides can be particularly hazardous for children and pregnant women, so if you’re feeding people in those two categories, organic eggs may be a good choice. Organic eggs are also outright more nutritious too. They have been shown to have higher ratios of Vitamins A and E, Omega 3, and beta-carotene than factory produced eggs. They have also been reported to be lower in cholesterol and saturated fat.

Contrary to what many people may think, organic eggs are not all brown. In fact, organic and non-organic eggs can both be brown. Brown eggs come from brown-feathered hens and white eggs from white-feathered hens. Shell colour varies with the breed of hen and is not related to quality, nutrients, flavour or cooking characteristics.Why do people say that organic eggs taste better? The answer lies in variety and the shell itself. Chickens love variety. They’ll eat grains, bugs, worms, snails and other natural substances…and this variety of diet leads to a rich, healthy egg with a vivid yolk. Factory chickens don’t have access to anything but grow-quick gruel. Naturally, the cost goes down, but so does the flavor. The shells themselves have a somewhat porous surface that can absorb outside odors. Chickens that are raised on organic feed often live in cleaner environments than chickens that are not free-range or cage-free, so there is a lesser chance of organic eggs absorbing unpleasant odors or chemical agents.

Like anything, all this goodness comes at a cost. Organic eggs are more expensive, because it costs the farmers more to give the chickens organic feed and requires more room to let them roam outside of cages.

Vegetarian Eggs

Vegetarian eggs are laid from hens that are only fed a vegetarian diet, free from meat or fish by-products. The downside is that it means the hens have to be kept in cages or indoors so that they do not peck any grubs or worms.

Pasteurized Eggs

Pasteurized eggs are eggs in their shell that have been put through a pasteurization process where they are heated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for three and a half minutes. This completely kills bacteria without cooking the egg. Eggs do not legally have to pasturised, but eating them is recommended for young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems, so that they can reduce the risk of contracting a salmonella infection.

Omega-3 Enhanced

These are eggs that are produced by hens fed a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids. If you rarely eat fish, buy these to snag more of the heart-healthy fatty acids.  The Omega-3s are a fatty acid and the yolk contains most of the fat in an egg as only a trace amount of fat is in the whites (mostly only protein). Since Omega-3 eggs are a bit pricier than normal eggs, it would be a waste of money to buy Omega-3 eggs if you only eat the whites.

At the end of the day, all eggs contain the same basic good stuff, and the large ones pack only 72 calories each, so you really can’t go wrong. But depending on your eating or ethical standards, it may be worth shelling out the extra cash for a specific variety. In the nutritional pecking order for protein power, the humble egg pretty much rules the roost. Eggs are one of the few foods considered to be a complete protein. This means they contain the nine essential amino acids your body cannot produce naturally. Regarded as the “building blocks” of the body, amino acids help form protein and are vital to your body’s health. A large egg contains 6 grams of the highest quality protein found in any food. Just over half of this is found in the white and the remainder in the yolk, so eat the whole egg to benefit from its full energy potential. Including protein-rich eggs in your meals and snacks helps sustain your energy levels and curb hunger, cravings and unhealthy snacking.

Here are some more reasons why people are flocking towards eggy goodness…

Egg Vitamins

A: good for the skin and growth.
D: Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain Vitamin D strengthens bones by raising calcium absorption.
E: protects cells from oxidation.

B1: helps properly release energy from carbohydrates.
B2: helps release energy from protein and fat.
B6: promotes the metabolism of protein.
B12: an essential vitamin in the formation of nerve fibers and blood cells.
Choline: This nutrient that helps encourage normal cell structure and function as well as helps proper signaling of nerve cells and regular cells A study published this year found that women with a high intake of choline were 24 % less likely to get breast cancer.

Egg Minerals

Iron: essential in the creation of red blood cells.
Zinc: good for enzyme stability and essential in sexual maturation.
Calcium: most important mineral in the strengthening of bones and teeth.
Iodine: controls thyroid hormones.
Selenium: like vitamin E, it protects cells from oxidation.

Egg Antioxidants

Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Two antioxidants that have been shown to ward off macular degeneration, so are very beneficial for eye health.

Lastly, some tips for spotting and maintaining a healthy egg;

• Check eggs before buying to make sure there are no cracked or leaking eggs, which could transfer any bacteria that are present.
• Immediately refrigerate eggs to 45 degrees F or below so if bacteria are present, they won’t multiply.
• Wash hands, utensils, and preparation surfaces thoroughly with hot, soapy water when handling and preparing eggs.
• If you’re collecting eggs from your own backyard flock, wash eggs in hot soapy water before refrigerating.
• Check the shell is intact with no cracks.
• It shouldn’t smell bad.

Once a foe, now a friend, this mighty whole-food contains many great nutrients and isn’t as bad as people once thought!

Live well, live long, live naturally

Renée x