All about the egg

What is the nutritional value of eggs? Which is healthier the white or the yolk and why?

The nutritional value of a chicken egg is determined by several factors. First of all, it is worth noting that egg yolk and egg white differ in their nutritional content. The overall nutritional value of eggs, can be influenced by the way eggs are cooked and prepared. Egg white is a complete protein with high biological value, it is the so-called reference protein, containing all amino acids, including essential amino acids (tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine), which the body can not produce on its own and therefore must be supplied with food.

The yolk of a hen's egg has a more varied chemical composition than the white, and is therefore a more valuable part of the egg; however, it is also more caloric.

Eggs have a favorable fat composition, providing many essential fatty acids for the body, including omega-3 fatty acids mainly in the form of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA helps maintain brain and vision function.

An important component is lecithin, the content of which in the yolk is three times higher than in soybeans, the main dietary source of it. Lecithin is important for the proper functioning of the nervous system; it is a solid component of the brain, the myelin sheaths of nerve tissue, and participates in cholesterol metabolism.

A valuable ingredient in chicken eggs is choline, indicated as an important element for ensuring proper brain function, nervous system and liver metabolism. Studies indicate that choline plays an important role in brain and spinal cord development during pregnancy, cognitive development in infants, and may also help prevent cognitive decline in the elderly.

The xanthophylls contained in chicken eggs - zeoxanthin and lutein, which belong to the carotenoids, exhibit antioxidant properties. Important for ensuring the proper functioning of the organ of vision, they counteract the degeneration of the macula of the eye that occurs with age.

What vitamins and minerals does an egg contain?

Eggs are a good source of fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, K and in water: B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, B12. It is indicated that the consumption of two eggs a day can cover 10 to 30% of vitamin requirements for adults, except for vitamin C, which eggs do not provide. Hen eggs are also a valuable source of minerals: phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium.

Apparently eating eggs has a beneficial effect on the eyes?

Egg yolks contain large amounts of lutein and zeoxanthin, carotenoids with antioxidant properties. Scientific studies have shown that providing sufficient amounts of these nutrients can significantly reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

How many calories does an egg have?

One piece of standard chicken egg - size M, weighing about 60g, provides: 84 kcal, 7.5g of protein and about 6g of fat.

In what form are eggs healthiest - hard boiled, soft boiled, or perhaps scrambled or sautéed?

It is worth remembering that the more gentle the heat treatment - the egg served in a healthier form. It will be most advantageous to prepare an egg with a slightly truncated white and a liquid yolk, that is, in "soft" form. The short heat treatment time, about 3 minutes, allows the egg to retain its high nutritional value. A soft-boiled egg will be lighter to digest than a hard-boiled egg. As an alternative to soft-boiled eggs, "shirred" eggs are cooked after breaking out of the shell, directly over water for 3 minutes. You also get a liquid yolk surrounded by a truncated egg white.

Also important are the additives we choose for egg dishes - we do not consume a single substance or product, but a whole balanced meal. It is worth remembering to add a portion of vegetables, choose whole grain cereal products, or use the right fat. A healthier choice will be scrambled eggs not in lard, bacon or butter, but, for example, with spinach fried in oil. Eggs in the form of "sautéed" - preferably in the form of shakshuka with tomatoes and fresh basil.

One egg contains 270 mg of cholesterol, but does it really affect the onset of heart disease such as atherosclerosis?

Eggs are a rich source of dietary cholesterol. It is worth noting that a high intake of cholesterol with food is not synonymous with elevated blood cholesterol levels. Current scientific research indicates that dietary cholesterol does not affect the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is because it has been proven that not everyone reacts equally with an increase in blood cholesterol concentration to dietary cholesterol. It is possible to distinguish a group of so-called hyperresponders, i.e. those whose cholesterol concentration increases, and a group of hyporesponders in whom no increase in cholesterol is noted. According to the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology, on the management of lipid disorders, limiting dietary cholesterol in the diet of healthy individuals is further down the list of dietary recommendations to reduce LDL cholesterol. Instead, it seeks to replace saturated fatty acids in the diet (e.g., animal fats) with unsaturated fatty acids (vegetable fats) and to eliminate processed foods containing so-called trans fats (e.g., prepared confectionery).

How many eggs should one eat per week?

The authors of the scientific reports do not give a clear answer about the effect of egg consumption on the risk of cardiovascular disease. They indicate that moderate egg consumption - up to seven eggs per week - does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Easter eggs are eaten hard-boiled. How much do they need to be cooked so that they do not lose their nutritional value?

Hard-boiled eggs should be boiled for 8-9 minutes from the time the water begins to boil. Boiling eggs for too long causes sulfur and iron to precipitate, and the reaction results in turning part of the egg yolk green. Overcooked eggs are edible, but do not have as much nutritional value and flavor as those cooked properly. The yolk becomes loose and darker, and a gray-green rim forms around it, the yolk acquires a more crumbly, dry texture.

Why are free-range eggs the healthiest?

Proponents of free-range farming argue that only eggs carried by hens running free range are healthy. The nutritional content of eggs, on the other hand, depends on many different factors, including the breed of hen, the diet and the season. The fat composition of an egg depends on the type of feed fed. For example, the use of flaxseed to feed hens increases the content of linolenic and linoleic acid, while sunflower and corn oil increase the amount of linolenic acid and, to a lesser extent, arachidonic acid. Vitamin A content also varies and depends on nutrition (eggs contain the most during spring and summer, when hens consume a large amount of green feed). In turn, the vitamin D content of chicken egg yolk depends on access to sunlight (free-range, organic farming). In June, eggs may contain 50% more vitamin D than those laid in April, when there is less light. For this reason, summer eggs are four times richer in vitamin D than winter eggs.

Quail eggs, goose eggs, or maybe ostrich eggs, but chicken eggs ? Which are the healthiest?

Ostrich egg - weighs an average of about 1.5 kg, which is equivalent to about 30 chicken eggs.
Per 100 g of product contains a comparable content of fat and protein to chicken egg, contains more beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids and less cholesterol. In addition, it is characterized by a higher content of folic acid, vitamin B1, magnesium, selenium and iron. The cholesterol content is 13 mg/g of yolk, compared to 15-19 mg/g of yolk in chicken egg.

Quail eggs weigh about 10 g on average - they are 1/5 of a chicken egg. Small quail eggs are readily consumed due to the high proportion of yolk to protein.
The high nutritional value of quail eggs is evidenced by the high content of essential amino acids, as well as iron, carotene, easily digestible phosphorus, copper and B vitamins. The fat content of a quail egg is lower than that of a chicken egg, but the fatty acid combination is similar to that of a chicken egg. The cholesterol content of the yolk of quail eggs averages about 40-50 mg.
It is indicated that the healthiest eggs are those laid by green-legged hens. Such laying hens are raised only on organic farms, as they immediately die in confinement. Eggs from these hens are tastier, have better quality and are healthier (they have one-third less cholesterol than regular eggs). In addition, they are less likely to sensitize allergy sufferers.

How to check the freshness of eggs?

The easiest homemade way to check the freshness of an egg is to place it in a glass of cold water. If the egg immediately sinks to the bottom and lies flat on its sides, it means that it is very fresh. In contrast, a spoiled and unfit egg will float. This is caused by the air chamber formed in the blunt end of the egg, which grows larger as the egg is stored for longer.

How to cook an egg so that its shell does not break?

The simplest solution is to make a hole at the end of the egg, where the bubble is located.It is also worth adding a little salt to the water, as when cooking pasta or rice. In addition, it is worth ensuring that the eggs are not too cold, that is, taken straight out of the refrigerator.

What is worth knowing?

The color of the shell of chicken eggs can be white to light brown and depends primarily on the breed and individual characteristics. A darker color is usually found in eggs from young hens, eggs laid after a break in laying, and early winter and spring eggs. Shell color - has no significance in relation to the nutritional value of eggs.

Source: SUM