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Sunday 31 August 2014

Egg, a misunderstood superfood



"Sunday ho ya monday roz khao aunday"

This is not just a marketing punch line but the way for healthy living.
I am not sure about apple but ''some eggs a day will definitely keep a lot of ailments away''.

Because egg is a sheer nutritional treasure, check for yourself


one standard whole egg
45-50 g


Protein
6g
Vitamins

Vitamin  A
6% of RDA
Vitamin B2
18% of RDA
Vitamin B5
7% of RDA
Vitamin B6
8% of RDA
Vitamin B12
9% of RDA
Vitamin D
7% of RDA
Minerals

Calcium
2.5% of RDA
Folate
5% of RDA
Iron
3% of RDA
Magnesium
1.% of RDA
Phosphorous
9% of RDA
Potassium
1% of RDA
Sodium
2% of RDA
Selenium
22%of RDA



*RDA Recommended dietary allowance is a system of nutrition recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences about how much vitamins & minerals a healthy adult need everyday. The above figures are approximate.


Egg magic
  • Egg is the richest dietary source of B complex vitamin 'choline'.  Choline is 'the food for brain' needed for better neurological system, brain development in fetus, reducing inflammation in body & produces happiness hormones serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine.
  • Egg has abundance of Sulphur & selenium. Sulphur helps in Vitamin B absorption  & liver function also gives you shiny hair & glowing skin. Selenium is an antioxidant, prevents cell damage, makes special proteins, prevents you from cancer & other disease
  • It is the best source of best protein, all other dietary protein quality is compared against eggs.
  • Egg yolks contain large amounts of both Lutein and Zeaxanthin. These are antioxidant proteins which are vital for eye health, they are building blocks of retina.


All these vitamins, minerals & protein together will take care of even the tiniest interests of your body. In short it is a magic oval for thick shiny hair, gleaming skin, healthy eyesight, stronger bones, better hormonal secretion, macho sex life, impenetrable immune system, muscular body, faster brain, quick nervous system, smoother digestion & absorption of vitamins & minerals.

There are very few other foods which can give you this many health benefits & satisfy your taste buds too. Beside egg's easy & cheap availability is a boon.

Unfortunately this super food's reputation & credibility was marred by some wrong studies & much bad press. eg. Nikolai Anichkov  fed egg to rabbits & concluded it raises cholesterol in humans !
All and all egg became a misunderstood superfood.
Such studies made people yolkophobic ! gulping down those egg whites & tossing the grey balls in dustbin. The fact is yolk contains most of the vitamins, minerals & half of protein in egg.

Many recent studies are upturning the old notions 'Time magazine reversed the argument it made in a 1984 cover story claiming eggs dangerous are dangerous for health'.  One recent study  published in Philippine Journal of Science showed whole egg consumption had no effect on cholesterol level of 115 healthy human subjects. There are many other scientific studies since 1996 that have confirmed and strengthened the conclusions that dietary cholesterol has only a small effect on blood cholesterol. Human liver itself produces cholesterol. It is necessary for hormone production, nutrient absorption etc.


Some other myths related to eggs




  • Brown eggs are much better than white eggs -

    A single brown egg (popular name deshi egg) in Mumbai is sold for Rs. 20 compared to Rs. 5 for a regular white in name of being 'super nutritious' ! It is insane. There is no difference in nutrition value of both eggs, yeah i repeat 'BOTH HAVE EXACTLY SAME HEALTH BENEFITS ' . It is just the color of shell given by feathers of hen while hatching, brown colored hen bores brown eggs, thats it. The brown hen being larger in size eats more & costs more to poultry farms.
    The things which makes difference in egg's nutritional quality are :
    Hen health, what are they being fed ?

  • Raw eggs are better than boiled eggs -

    Forget about protein if the source can cause illness, 30 Americans die annually from 'salmonella' poisoning. It is one of many bacterias present in outer & inner shell of egg. We all know how dirty egg shells are so if you won't boil them they will make you sick. Eat only hard boiled eggs. To your relief,  eggs don't lose their nutritional value after boiling. A standard sized egg will give you 6 gms of protein either way. In fact a study published in Journal of nutrition claims, our body can absorb protein from boiled eggs much faster than the raw one.


I eat 5 whole eggs & 5 whites daily, I know people who consume 20 whole eggs & we all are fighting fit . For best results, I will recommend at least 5 whole eggs daily with 60 minutes of  workout to any healthy individual. If you have any medical condition your doctor can guide you better.

Have eggs, be healthier. 


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