Eggs give you essential nutrition

Egg is nutrient-dense with good quality protein, fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Sheela Krishnaswamy elaborates

The World Egg Day was started in Vienna, Austria in 1996, when it was decided to celebrate the power of egg on the second Friday of October every year. This year’s theme is ‘eggs for a healthy future’ to emphasize the nutritional benefits of an egg, which can help overcome some of the nutritional deficiencies.

In India, eggs are consumed by many people including some vegetarians who do not eat meat. Egg is nutrient-dense with good quality protein, fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Both, the yolk (yellow portion of egg) and the white portion of egg contain protein, so it would be foolish to throw away the yellow and eat only the white. Although many people fear eating the egg yolk, it contains approximately 183 mg cholesterol and only 1.50 gm of saturated fat, which are well within the recommended amounts per day. Egg yolk also contains vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6, B7 and B9 in greater quantities than egg white. Most of the vitamin D is present in the egg yolk which is one of the few natural food sources for this important vitamin. Egg yolk is also a source of vitamins E, K and carotenoids. Egg white contains very little fat as compared to the yolk.

100 gm of whole egg contains 49.40 mg of calcium, 1.82 mg of iron, 1.20 mg of zinc, 198 mcg of vitamin A, 49.30 mcg of dietary folate, 1.80 mcg of vitamin B12. Egg also contains two important carotenoids - lutein and zeaxanthin. Eggs do not contain dietary fibre and vitamin C, and they have miniscule amount of carbohydrates.

Common nutrient deficiencies seen in India are iron, vitamin D, vitamin A and vitamin B12. All these nutrients are found in an egg, making it useful for those who have such deficiencies.

Eggs can be consumed by almost every person who wants to. The only exceptions are those who are allergic to eggs (especially children) and those who have been prescribed a diet in which eggs should not be included (for example, low protein diet, low cholesterol diet). Free range eggs have a greater demand than factory-farmed commercial eggs with increasing environment consciousness and humane treatment to animals.

Eggs are always consumed cooked and not in the raw form, to improve digestibility and prevent salmonella infection.

Some ways of consuming eggs

Boiled or poached – with salt and pepper: This is a healthy way to eat an egg.

Scrambled: With salt and pepper and sometimes with milk and butter or oil added. The addition of butter or oil increases the fat content of the dish and may not be advisable for all.

Fried: It is made with a lot of oil or butter, and eaten with salt and pepper. Since it is a high-fat dish, it’s best limited to an occasional use.

Omelette: This way, it is cooked in an oiled pan with added salt and pepper, this is popular among many egg-consuming people here. Ingredients like tomato,
onion, spinach, mushroom, cheese, spring onion, herbs and spices can be added to an omelette to enhance taste and flavour.

If an omelette can be made using vegetables, herbs and spices, and without oil or cheese, it can make a healthy dish that can be included in a meal.

Egg is also a part of several dishes like custard, cake, mousse, meringue, curry, biryani, bhurji, noodles, soup, salad, souffle, pasta, sandwich, quiche and many more. Egg based beverages egg nog and egg coffee are popular in some parts of the world.

Egg is an option that you could choose if you are looking for some health benefits.

(The author is a nutrition and wellness consultant)