Despite the biological anomaly, most of us associate Easter with a bunny delivering eggs. And this year there is good news about eggs! For many years nutritionists have urged consumers to limit their consumption of whole eggs because of the high cholesterol content. New research, however, is showing that cholesterol in food does not translate into higher blood cholesterol. (High blood cholesterol levels increase your risk of heart disease. It turns out that saturated fat is the biggest culprit in increasing blood cholesterol.)
Eggs are a convenient and inexpensive source of high quality protein. They are rich in the amino acids that are essential for human growth and tissue maintenance. This means that egg protein is considered to be of high biologic value. In addition, eggs provide several key vitamins such as A, B12, and D. Egg yolks are one of the richest sources of choline, a vitamin involved in brain function, maintaining cell membranes and liver health. Whole eggs contain the carotenoid pigments lutein and zeaxanthin, which are important for healthy vision. Eggs are a breakfast staple, but they work well for other meals and snacks also.
Visit the Egg Nutrition Center for recipe ideas. |
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