Eggs for Life

by Pieta Cedaro APD (Consult Dietician)

Easter has come and gone but at this time of the year we all seem to become mad about eggs -particularly the chocolate kind. While cocoa solids in chocolate are rich in antioxidants unfortunately many commercial Easter eggs have low cocoa solids as they are made from cheaper poorer quality milk chocolate. More expensive dark chocolate varieties (ideally with a minimum of 60% cocoa solids) are the most beneficial for health- in moderation of course.

My purpose however is to sing the praises of the original symbols of new life- good old googie eggs. Since the 60's eggs have had a bad rap -being linked with high blood cholesterol, clogged arteries and thus our number one killer in Australia- heart disease. So it seemed like avoiding foods rich in cholesterol, like eggs, was the right thing to do … or is it?

On average Australians eat about three eggs a week, which isn't that many. If you've been avoiding googies for health reasons you'll be glad to know eggs really aren't as bad as they were cracked up to be- in fact they can be a healthy inclusion in your daily intake.

Originally eggs became a dietary no-no because of the cholesterol in their yolks. Cholesterol is the substance that builds up in our blood vessels increasing our risk of heart attacks and strokes.

However we now know that eating cholesterol isn't the main determinant of the your blood cholesterol levels. Instead saturated fat - found in butter, cream and other animal fats found in meats, dairy products, baked goods (cakes, biscuits, pastries), chocolates, fried and take away foods(chips, hamburgers), and in coconut and palm oils -is the biggest dietary culprit.

If you are healthy, and have a balanced diet, then naturally occurring cholesterol in foods like eggs and prawns is not a major concern for you. If however your bad cholesterol levels are already elevated then you will respond differently to cholesterol containing foods so you do need to be more conservative.

While there is fat in eggs themselves, it's only around five -six grams. And more than half of that is unsaturated, the good type that actually helps counterbalance cholesterol's artery clogging effects. You can also now get omega 3 enriched eggs containing even more healthy fats then the original cackle.

So in a nut shell (or an egg shell if you like) the take home message is not only are eggs not so "bad" for you, they're actually pretty nutritious- full of high quality protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants such as Lutein. In fact they are one of the rare and healthier food sources of vitamin D-essential for healthy bones- that many Australians are currently lacking.

So how many is ok? Studies have shown that even an egg a day for most healthy people will not elevated cholesterol levels anymore but for most four -five eggs a week is ideal. If you have heart disease or you're at increased risk of it because of existing high blood cholesterol or other factors, then you might need to limit how often eggs are on the menu. But for the rest of us they are pretty EGGSCELLENT!

Trivial egg facts

• A mother hen turns over her eggs about 50 times a day - and it's not just for exercise, she actually does it to prevent the egg yolk from sticking to the sides of the shell.
• During theFrench Revolution, the French had already devised 685 different ways of preparing eggs (including, of course, the omelet).
• Did you know? White-shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. There is no difference in taste or nutrition between white and brown eggs.
• An average hen lays 300 to 325 eggs a year.
• As a hen grows older she produces larger eggs.
• The egg shell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg can absorb flavors and odours. Storing eggs in the carton helps keep them fresh.