First thing first – not a very long time ago, eggs were not only NOT considered a superfood they were considered to be very bad for your health raising your cholesterol levels. But as it is very often when it comes to food, one days worst enemy is the next days best friend and vice versa. Studies have shown that even though eggs do contain relatively high amounts of fat, eggs and dietary cholesterol do NOT adversely affect cholesterol levels in the blood. In fact, eggs raise HDL (the good) cholesterol. They also change LDL cholesterol from small, dense LDL (which is bad) to large LDL, which is benign.

So eggs have no association with either heart disease or stroke in otherwise healthy people. Even more, they are very rich with antioxidants (primarily  Lutein and Zeaxanthine) that are unique to eggs and protect against the eye diseases Macular Degeneration and Cataracts. So – do not be scared of eggs.

Ok, now we can move on.

Eggs

Birds lay eggs in order to reproduce young and before that happens people collect them and use them for food. The edible parts of an egg are the yolk and egg white, the hard shell sourounding it is the eggshell. Eggs have been used for a long time in human diet. In ancient times people collected eggs laid by wild birds (which were interestingly not chickens). People used quail, turkey, ostrich and other wild bird eggs. In some parts of the world wild eggs are still collected.

Today eggs are bough in supermarkets or directly from farms that raise poultry. You can primarily get chicken eggs, only occasionally other types of eggs are available.

Eggs in cooking

Eggs are a nutritious food that is popular all over the world. They are a great source of protein and can easily be used to replace meat products. Occasionally, people consume them raw, however it is best to only eat cooked eggs since cooking usually prevents food poisoning. Eggs can be cooked in a wide variety of ways – they can be used in baking breads, cakes, cookies and other products, they can be boiled, scrambled, fried or poached. They are also used to create mayonnaise and can even be pickled for preservation. Coating an egg with clay, mud, or salt paste can also stop it from spoiling. Long-term storage of these coated eggs can cause fermentation and these fermented eggs are often considered a delicacy.

Health Benefits

Many different nutrients are contained in eggs. The yolk contains vitamin E and A. Vitamin A maintains the health of bones, skin and eyes. Vitamin E assists with keeping body cells functioning properly. They are an important source of vitamin D which helps the human body resist disease. Eggs also contain several of the B vitamins, calcium, iron & folic acid. They are also low in calories, all of the fat of eggs is located in the yolk. Many people only use the egg white to reduce consumption of fat. The yolk also has choline which is important for brain health. Some types of eggs can provide omega 3 fatty acids which helps to maintain heart health.

How to Prepare Eggs

There are lots of different ways to make eggs and making them is one of the basic human skills. It’s up there with being able to take a slice of bread and put jam on it. So we won’t bore you with different egg recipes:). But if can master scrambled eggs Jamie Oliver style I’m sure you’ll score some extra points: