Eggs: Good nutrition bang for your buck

Eggs are a naturally nutrient-dense food and contain almost every essential vitamin and mineral needed by humans. A large egg has about 74 calories and more than 6 grams of high-quality protein that is easily digested and absorbed by the body. Eggs are also an excellent source of choline, a nutrient that helps prevent birth defects, and a good source of riboflavin. The egg white consists primarily of protein while the yolk contains protein, choline, folate, lutein, zeaxanthin, fat, and vitamin D.
Each egg is separately wrapped in its own shell requiring no weighing or measuring and can be prepared in thousands of ways. Eggs are also naturally low in sodium and the yolk has a favorable mix of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and just 1.5 grams of saturated fat. And while many Americans still avoid eggs for fear of dietary cholesterol, 30 years of research has never linked egg consumption to heart disease. Additionally, the American Heart Association no longer places a limit on the amount of eggs a person can consume per week.
In an effort to meet consumer demand a number of specialty eggs are currently on the market offering an array of nutritional choices. Omega-3 eggs are laid by hens fed a special diet containing omega-3 rich flaxseed or marine algae. Cage free, organic, free-range and certified humane eggs all have the same nutritional content but the conditions under which the chickens are kept meet specific USDA standards. Brown eggs are no different from white eggs and are just from a different breed of hen.
The high-quality protein in eggs can be part of a balanced sports diet by aiding in muscle tissue repair and growth. So next time you are wondering what to have with that bagel try an egg or two.
American Egg Board (2010) http://www.aeb.org/retailers/nutrition-facts
Egg Nutrition Center (2010) http://www.enc-online.org/