"Top 10" -- Eggs

All of the news about egg recalls lately may be scaring you away from eating eggs.  However, eggs can be a very healthy food provided they come from organic, free range chickens that are fed a healthy diet high in omega-3 fatty acids.1  In fact, eggs obtained from organically-fed, cage free chickens are virtually free of salmonella.1 Most eggs in grocery stores come from chickens who live their entire lives in cramped, dirty spaces, never having seen the light of day, and who are fed antibiotics and growth hormones.1  These environments are breeding grounds for disease.

Eggs are an excellent source of protein and they provide all essential amino acids, as well as vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that help the heart, eyes, cells, and brain to function properly.1  One of these important nutrients is choline a precursor to the brain neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, which is essential for memory and thought processing.1  The Physician’s Desk Reference claims that without acetylcholine the brain may be more prone to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.1  Choline is also a key part of phosphatidylcholine, a lipid which helps to prevent cholesterol and fat from getting deposited in the liver.1

Eating eggs has other benefits. Eggs contain selenium, a mineral believed to aid in cancer prevention, and lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants believed to protect the eyes.1  According to one study, eggs may even protect against breast cancer.1 The study showed that women who ate six eggs per week versus two eggs per week were 44 percent less likely to develop breast cancer.1  In addition, according to the Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating, it has never been proven that people who eat more eggs have more heart attacks than those who eat fewer.1  Elson Haas, M.D., provides a little more insight into the cholesterol connection.  He says that research shows that eating eggs "when not associated with a high-fat diet does not appreciably raise the serum cholesterol."2  So, what you eat with your eggs has quite a bit to do with how your cholesterol may be affected.

Johnny Bowden, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, suggests that the healthiest ways of cooking eggs are poaching and boiling.1  Dr. Haas warns against eating fried eggs because of the fats typically used to fry them.2

Here are a couple of things that you can look for on egg cartons to make sure you are buying healthy eggs:

- Certified Humane seal
- USDA Organic seal
- Omega-3 statement or language that indicates a vegetarian diet or a diet high in flaxseed
- No antibiotics

1Bowden, J. (2007). The 150 healthiest foods on earth: the suprising unbiased truth about what you should eat and why. Beverly, MA: Fair Winds Press.
2Haas, E. (2006). Staying healthy with nutrition: the complete guide to diet and nutritional medicine. Berkeley: Celestial Arts.