Organic Eggs are an extremely healthy addition and superfood to add to any diet.
While conventional eggs tend to have a less favorable nutritional profile, organic eggs have a more optimal balance of nutrients. In this article I am going to explain why we need to stop eating only egg whites, and start eating more whole eggs because the yolk is the most nutrient dense part!
There are always questions being raised as to whether or not we should eat the egg yolks, and cholesterol concerns with eggs. And like most other animal products, eggs are highly nutritious, but must be eaten from chickens that are pasture-raised and allowed to roam! Buying organic and farm-fresh eggs greatly improves nutrient quality and taste.
Mother Earth News’ Egg Testing Project found in 2007 that:
“Our testing has found that, compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:
- 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene”
This just goes to show that like anything else, it comes down to how it was raised and quality.
Conventional eggs can have less of these important nutrients such as vitamin E and A which absorb with the unique cholesterol and fats found in eggs. Organic eggs also have a much more optimal balance of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats, and in the test referenced above was found to have 2 TIMES MORE Omega 3.
This is huge because more Omega 3s in the diet and optimizing your ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 has been found to reduce heart disease greatly.
Most Americans are extremely low in healthy Omega 3 fats, while being much too high in Omega 6s. A study found that Americans have on average a ratio of 16/1 Omega 6 to Omega 3. When this ratio becomes lowered back down to 4/1 Omega 6 to Omega 3, it cuts your risk of heart disease down by 70%!
Stop eating only egg whites and losing the most nutritional part of the egg! Here are some reasons why you need to eat WHOLE eggs:
- The egg Yolk contains nearly half the protein in the entire egg, almost as much as the whites. If you are eating egg whites for protein, why are you throwing out the other half?!
- The Yolk contains 100% of the Vitamin A, E, D, K, Carotenoids, DHA and AA. This is especially important to note because Vitamins A, E, D, K, are all FAT-SOLUBLE, meaning that you must have some fat with these vitamins to synergistically absorb them. Makes sense that mother nature took care of that already by adding DHA and essential fats right in the egg yolk! By only eating the egg whites you lose all of the benefits of these vitamins and fats.
- The Yolk contains over 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12. These are essential nutrients that many people are deficient in, such as calcium, phosphorous and zinc.
- The Yolk has is PACKED with nutrients, and has far fewer calories in proportion to the egg white. A true superfood is always high in micro-nutrients in comparison to its caloric contents, eggs meet this requirement easily.
- The Yolk tastes amazing with just about anything.
Organic pasture-raised eggs could solve many nutritional deficiencies. As www.cholesteral-and-health.com points out, organic eggs would be more effective than taking a multivitamin, and I whole-heartedly agree.
Why spend way too much money on an over-priced multivitamin made from crushed up artificial minerals and synthetic vitamins? Just spend the extra buck and find somewhere local to buy fresh eggs! Eating a few eggs each day, or every other day, is enough to balance many nutrient deficiencies that many people are commonly suffering from.
Unfortunately negative propaganda has permeated throughout our culture for some time regarding eggs, including the cholesterol myth and increased chances of heart disease. But this could not be any further from the truth. Maybe if you buy cheap processed eggs, sure. But generally, organic and free-range eggs are going to be much healthier and the yolks should ALWAYS be eaten!
Eating just the egg whites can actually be an unbalanced approach to eating eggs, as it only contains a limited amount of nutrients and may have enzyme inhibitors that block the absorption of nutrients. It seems that the best way to eat eggs is whole! From my experience, I eat the whole damn egg, and I would never endorse or practice only eating egg whites.
Why on earth would you consciously throw out all the healthy fat, and almost all the vitamins and minerals? Those are the components of the egg that provide true health and energy!
Look for pasture-raised, and organic. And then take it a step further and network locally to find fresh extremely high-quality eggs!
When shopping for eggs always look for pasture-raised or free-range on the box. When the animal is allowed to roam and graze freely, they get more exercise, better nutrition, and produce high-quality and normal eggs. Another big component of whether or not a chicken lays healthy eggs is how much natural sunlight that chicken is getting; this also has a direct correlation with egg production.
Once you start only buying higher quality organic eggs, start looking for local farms where you can get your eggs as fresh as possible! Oxidation seems to be a concern when purchasing eggs, so you want to make sure that they are fresh.
Cook the eggs in a manner that does not overcook the yolks, do not worry about cholesterol concerns!
Research has shown that it is probably much more beneficial to eat the egg yolks as close to raw as possible. I recommend never overcooking your eggs! The best way in my opinion to cook eggs is over-easy because the yolk still stays runny while the white gets cooked thoroughly. Try to never over-cook the yolks to maximize nutrition and prevent heat from destroying vitamins and minerals.
Your liver makes all the cholesterol that your body needs. When you eat dietary cholesterol, your liver just makes less cholesterol. It is as simple as that. I believe that any negative associations with heart disease or animal products causing poor health is correlated with low quality processed eggs. If you are taking the time to look for quality, you will eat your organic eggs and should be able to intuitively know that it is a healthier egg. You will notice improved taste and energy. As always, listen to your body.
Eggs are the tastiest breakfast food on the planet; eat them regularly as the body is craving them!
Lets be honest, eggs are the most delicious breakfast food on the planet for a reason. Could it be that high-quality organic eggs are exactly the right proportion of nutrients our bodies crave upon waking up? Hmm… The answer is probably a gigantic YES!
Where else are you going to get all your fat-soluble vitamins, healthy fats, DHA, minerals, a complete highly bio-available source of protein, and low-carb source of fuel as perfect as an organic egg? Nowhere! Start your day off right with as many eggs as you consciously feel like eating.
When I am really starving I’ll eat my organic eggs with a piece of Ezekiel toast, a strip of bacon, some avocado and tomatoes. It is absolutely delicious and revs me up for the day ahead. So make sure to eat your pasture-raised organic eggs!
About the author:
Michael Sieber is a Certified Personal Trainer and a Holistic Nutrition Enthusiast. He runs his blog www.thefunctionalbody.com and emphasizes a balanced approach to health and fitness. It is not just about losing weight or being big and muscular, it is also about having a passion and purpose to guide you in life. We need to balance our body, mind, and soul, to become a self-actualized human being.
Learn more about Michael Sieber and what you need to do to achieve balance in your health and true happiness. Learn how to exercise, eat correctly, and balance your emotions with your dreams. Make sure to sign up to the newsletter so you can receive helpful tips and information regarding healthy products and techniques.
If you find that you have any questions regarding the content of this article, feel free to shoot me an email at: [email protected]
Sources for this article include:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/free-range-eggs-zmaz07onzgoe.aspx#ixzz3MNC42aC8
http://www.aeb.org/food-manufacturers/nutrition/51-nutrition-information/155-aaanutrient-charts
http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Egg_Yolk.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442909
