Nutrition Tips

0 Comments | 23rd April 2013

Eggs – A Powerhouse of Essential Nutrients!

  • Eggs have a high nutrient density in proportion to their calorie count. They are very high in protein and contain a wide range of other important nutrients including vitamin A, B6, B12, folate, iron, phosphorus and zinc.
  • Egg protein quality is so high that scientist often use eggs as the standard by which the protein quality of other food is measured. All the important amino acids, the building blocks of body protein, are found in an egg in the right proportions for your body’s needs.
  • One egg provides nearly one sixth of the daily protein required by an average woman and almost one eighth of an average man’s requirement. Eggs contain substantial amounts of the vitamins A, B, D and E. They are also a good source of essential minerals – iron, zinc, selenium and phosphorous.
  • Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin because we make it from the action of sunlight on our skin. Egg yolks are one of the few sources of vitamin D, along with oily fish and liver. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium.
  • Two thirds of the fat found in eggs is the healthy unsaturated kind and it’s reassuring to know that there is no unhealthy trans-fatty acid at all in eggs.
  • Eggs are great value for money and offer the best value around from an economical and nutrient quality point of view.
  • Any time of the day is right for eggs – for breakfast, a quick nutritious snack, lunch, dinner and dessert or for supper.
  • For a quick healthy breakfast, juice, poached egg and toast contains about 260 calories.

Eggs – Nature’s Original Functional Food

  • Egg yolk is an excellent source of choline, a nutrient now considered essential for the normal formation of brain tissue and memory and it also plays an important role in preventing heart disease.
  • Lutein and zeaxanthin are two newly-recognised nutrients that put eggs in the ‘functional foods’ category.  A functional food is one that provides health benefits beyond its basic nutrient content.  Recent studies show that these nutrients can significantly lower the risk of age related macular degeneration and can reduce the risk of cataracts and clouding of the eye covering which can accompany aging.