Myth-busting: Eggs 101

The goal of transitioning to a real food diet is to maximize nutrition, right? Eat to nourish, and enjoy while doing so! When one of my favorite, most versatile and nutritious foods has been slandered repeatedly and without thought or accurate information, I simply must step up.

Mark and I love our eggs. I just bought a few dozen eggs from chickens that eat natural diets and play around in a yard! We go through 2-3 dozen a week, and if (when) we get our own chickens, I hope we can increase that amount! Eggs have earned a bad rap. Many of us dutifully and even eagerly share the nutritional advice that if you have high cholesterol (or even to prevent high cholesterol), you limit your egg intake. But I encourage you to think a little more about this...

Myth 1: Egg whites are a healthier alternative than egg yolks.

They have less calories and fat, yes. So if you are trying to starve yourself or consume as little nutrients as possible, egg whites are a better choice. They have nearly no nutritional value. Not only that, they contain a substance called avidin, which interferes with the aborbtion of a B vitamin called biotin. Egg whites also contain trypsin inhibitors, and they mess with protein digestion.

The egg yolk, on the other hand, is one of the most complete sources of protein found in food. It is also rich in just about every nutrient we know, including the fat soluble vitamins A and D. They are also a good source of iron and calcium. (It is important to note that eggs from chickens that have been routing around in the ground have been proven to be nutritionally superior. More on this later.)

Myth 2: Eggs increase your cholesterol level and contribute to heart disease.

Let me first start out by stating that Japan is the country with the highest consumption of eggs, but is known to have one of the lowest rates of heart disease. Just throwing that out there. Also, when we (Americans) ate more eggs, before nutrition had it's own political correctness, people had less incidences of heart disease. As far as eggs raising cholesterol levels, there is no scientific basis for this bogus myth. Back in the 1960s, there was a study linking blood cholesterol and heart disease. Since eggs are high in cholesterol, they became marred and blamed. But guess what - they're innocent. Here's what will raise your cholesterol: genetics. Less than 25% of your blood cholesterol levels are affected by diet. So the other 3/4ths? That's all Mom and Pops.

Up Next...Eggs 102 - where to buy fresh, healthy eggs