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Eggs back on the menu in unlimited numbers
Britain's Foods Standards Agency says there should be no official
limit on the number of eggs people can consume, as long as they form part of a
healthy, balanced diet. This stance is backed by recent research that shows that
eating eggs could protect against heart disease, cancer and eye
problems.
Bruce Griffin of the University of Surrey, who
describes eggs as a super food, says: "To view eggs solely in terms of their
dietary cholesterol content is to ignore the potential benefits of eggs on
coronary risk factors, including obesity and diabetes."
Griffin
analysed 30 egg studies and found that people who consumed one or more eggs a
day were at no more risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease than non-egg
eaters.
Egg yolks contain cholesterol, but nutritionists now know it
is the saturated fats in food, not dietary cholesterol, that raises blood
cholesterol levels, a risk factor for heart attacks.
One egg provides
13 essential nutrients, all in the yolks. It contains the nutrients lutein and
zeaxanthin, which could help to prevent or even reverse the age-related eye
problem macular degeneration (MD). Egg whites contain albumen, an important
source of protein, and no fat, the researchers say. Eggs are an excellent source
of B vitamins, which are needed for vital functions in the body, and also
provide good quantities of vitamin A, essential for normal growth and
development.
An egg's vitamin E content protects against heart
disease and some cancers; there's also vitamin D, which promotes mineral
absorption and good bone health. Eggs are rich in iodine, for making thyroid
hormones, and phosphorus, essential for healthy bones and
teeth.
Girls who eat an egg a day in their teens may give themselves
additional protection against breast cancer in later life. It is the essential
nutrients in eggs, such as amino acids, vitamins and minerals that may be
responsible for this protection.
Eggs are also low in calories - a
large egg contains only 75 calories and 5 grams of fat - and other research
suggests they can help you lose weight, because of their low glycaemic index and
high protein level.
Health experts used to recommend a maximum egg
consumption of three a week to avoid a rise in blood cholesterol levels.
Editor WorldPoultry
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