Deciding to eat healthy, nutritious, and truly natural foods is one of the best things you can do for your quality of life. With the decision made, you would think that determining the quality of the food you eat would be a fairly simple process. No, the facts about nutrition and eggs are yet another example of what I’ve come to call ‘a food myth’.
Unfortunately, what ends up in your shopping cart, and in turn, on your body, is often based on incorrect information, information that, once presented by one marketing department or another, proliferates wildly, becoming the “truth”. ” on which we base dietary decisions so integral to our health.
Eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat; the story about them is also one of the best (or worst) examples of a food myth I can think of. Unfortunately, eggs have been vilified by many who believe their consumption contributes to the cholesterol problem.
A recent study in Journal of agriculture and food chemistry identified several different peptides in eggs that actually act as natural ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, a group of pharmaceuticals used primarily in the treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure).
Many people routinely avoid eggs due to the cholesterol hype that has been linked to them in recent years. The original study that placed eggs on the hazardous food list was conducted by the Cereal Institute 50 years ago and was conducted using powdered egg yolk.
Louise Gittleman, author of your body knows beststates that, “Recent refutations of that study indicate that dried powdered yolk, in and [only] by itself, it is toxic to blood vessels because it has been oxidized. No subsequent study has been able to prove cholesterol dangers or any other type of danger from eating eggs.”
Actually, it’s hard to say enough good things about eggs. Eggs are nature’s most perfect food: they provide better quality protein than milk, beef, whey and soy. They contain all nine essential amino acids and are loaded with vitamins and nutrients that support your eyes, brain, and heart.
In addition, egg yolks contain choline, a chemical similar to the B vitamin family, which is essential for heart and brain function and for the health of cell membranes. Choline also protects our liver from cholesterol and fat accumulation, is the precursor molecule for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and more.
In terms of preparation, be careful not to overcook the eggs, as the cooking process can damage vital nutrients. Overcooking can cause the cholesterol that is naturally in the egg to oxidize. The best way to eat eggs is soft-boiled, poached, or sunny side up.
Tossing a raw egg into a super nutritious smoothie is also a great and easy way to add eggs to your diet. If the idea of raw eggs bothers you, just remember that the frosting on a cake and the dressing on your favorite Caesar contain raw eggs.
Choose organic free range varieties and try to buy your eggs directly from a farmer to ensure quality. As for storage, in Europe and South America, eggs are stored on the counter and not in the refrigerator. No method is right or wrong; store them where they are least likely to lose moisture.
Another food fallacy put to rest. Unless you are allergic, eggs play an important role in good nutrition.
