There’s a lot going on under those shells
For thousands of years, generations of people around the world have consumed eggs in one of their many splendid forms.
From the ancient days of eating the substance raw, to frying, poaching and scrambling today, the yolky goodness has always prevailed as an ingredient of choice.
What many people do not know, however, is that eggs are one of nature’s ‘superfoods’, with health and nutritional benefits for all who crack into a shell.
Here are just three reasons why you should make sure eggs are part of your diet:
1. They can lower the risk of heart disease
Without getting into too much science here, eggs provide not only a unique tasty flavour but are also packed with nutrients to keep your body fighting fit.
One large egg can contain 212 mg of cholesterol – a substantial amount in comparison to many other foods. We all know ‘cholesterol’ can be a scary word, with links between heart disease and high cholesterol touted time and time again.
However, what is worth noting with eggs is that they provide a high amount of HDL – or ‘good’ cholesterol – whilst changing LDL – ‘bad’ cholesterol – which actually lowers the risk of heart disease.
Egg-cellent stuff!
2. Eggs make you smart
Let’s keep this one short as dipping into the mechanics of the brain is a fair bit more complex than dipping your soldiers into a hardboiled egg. I’m going to make this more Humpty Dumpty than Eggnstein.
Simply put, choline, an important nutrient for our bodies, is found in abundance in eggs. It helps our minds stay healthy and lowers the risk of neurological disorders.
A recent survey in the US showed that up to 90 per cent of people did not have enough choline in their diets.
A ‘cracking’ tip right here. It’s no yolk.
3. Lose body fat with eggs
Sounds too good to be true, right? Well the statistics speak for themselves.
During a study of 60 overweight or obese women, half were given a bagel breakfast and the other half received eggs. Dished out in identical calorie counts, the results showed that eggs were the favourable feast.
Amongst the stats unveiled were: The egg dieters lost 65 per cent more body weight, lost 16 per cent more body fat, had a 61 per cent greater reduction in BMI, and had a 34 per cent greater reduction in waist circumference.
Not too eggs-hausting after all. All hail the chicken’s fruit!
