Protein Power in an Egg

Eggs are a nutritious food item as it contains a number of the nutrients that our body requires. Egg contains very good quality protein, fat and also a number of vitamins namely A, B2, B12, D and E. It contains some minerals namely iron, calcium and phosphorus.

I would say, it is safe for children 1 year to 12 years of age to consume one whole egg daily. All the nutrients packed into it make it a wholesome and good food for the growing years.

Adults may consume an egg 2-3 times per week. If however one has a strong family history of high cholesterol levels one must test your cholesterol level and only if below 170mg/dl then consume whole eggs.

The egg yolk is the part that is dangerous in relation to cholesterol as one egg yolk contains more than 100mg/dl of cholesterol and must be completely avoided if blood levels are above 170mg/dl cholesterol. After it has been brought down below 170mg/dl then one whole egg may be eaten once a week. Nobody should eat 2 whole eggs at one time as the cholesterol consumed would be over 200mgs at a time.

Egg white is absolutely safe for consumption. It may be eaten daily and is a source of the best quality protein for our body. It is very low in calories and at the same time very filling so is a good food for weight reduction diets. Even 2-3 egg whites may be eaten at one time.

A whole egg, medium size, is about 80 calories where as an egg white is only 20-22 calories. Therefore we usually recommend this for young athletes as well as elderly people who feel weak and also to those who are on a weight reduction diet.

Each egg white would give us approximately 4.5 5.0gram of protein. An ideal breakfast I would recommend is 2-3 slices whole wheat bread with 2 egg whites, a sliced tomato and a glass of skimmed milk. This may be eaten upto 5-7 days a week and substituted with cereal and milk or idlies and sambar on the other two days.

Please note egg should not be consumed raw as raw egg white is not digested properly and will just be eliminated from the body and therefore will be wasted. Egg must be cooked properly to destroy salmonella, which can cause serious digestive tract illness. Therefore half boiled eggs or raw egg beaten with milk should be strictly avoided. We do not recommend the use of health eggs for people with cholesterol as the yolk is still present and will provide the hundred milligrams of cholesterol which is harmful to the heart. You just need to use normal eggs and avoid the yolk.