Eggs are high in protein and contain the brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron.
An egg a day may not harm your cholesterol levels and it will just keep the doctor away, says leading nutritionist Professor Manny Noakes. Eggs are high in protein and contain the brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. The colour of the yolk also contains pigments that benefit eye health.
‘People who eat more eggs generally have a better quality diet. They eat more vegetables and less junk food.’
A CSIRO study of 84,000 Australians found older people in general are eating fewer eggs, while younger people are almost eating an egg a day. The survey also found that people who ate more eggs generally had a better quality diet. They were eating more vegetables and less junk food.
"If we really want to improve Australia's diet the number one area of focus would have to be reducing the amount of junk food consumption," said Prof Noakes.
The Australian dietary guidelines recommend people eat two to three serves of protein a day, which means it would be ok to be eating up to six eggs a week. "I don't think that there needs to be any particular cap beyond the amount that is recommended for a healthy protein," said Prof Noakes.
As for eating just the whites of eggs to reduce calorie consumption it isn't worth it, says Prof Noakes. "There is a little bit more calories in the yolks than the whites but the difference is minuscule and it really is such a waste."
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"The current view is that dietary cholesterol is relatively unimportant, the body makes a lot of its own cholesterol far from what you get in your diet and if you eat food with cholesterol your body manufacture less of it," she added. Unfortunately it is older people who have been missing out on the health benefits of daily egg consumption because of incorrect beliefs about eggs.
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