How to have eggs for maximum benefit? Doctor explains

Healthcare providers and nutrition experts always advise consuming boiled eggs as it is the healthiest way to cook and eat eggs. A single egg contains up to 6 grams of protein. Eggs, which are a great source of almost all essential nutrients, have been part of our daily diet for ages. Moreover, it is the cheapest protein source that everyone can access. The humble egg is probably the only complete food after breastmilk that provides oodles of nutrition. An egg contains 11 essential amino acids, 11 critical minerals, and vitamins except vitamin C, calcium, and phosphorous. Besides, eggs are also a great source of colin, which is essential for brain development in children, lutein, which is required for good eyesight and antioxidants like Zeaxanthin. As a single egg contains 6 grams of protein and other essential nutrients, eggs are unavoidable in the diet of bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. Kids, elderly and pregnant women should strictly include eggs in their diet.

How to eat eggs right?
You get around 5 grams of fat and 72 calories from a boiled egg. However, when you fry the egg with a teaspoon of oil, it's fat and calories double. It is better to avoid consuming raw eggs or sunny side-ups as there is a risk of bacterial infection. Those who consume raw eggs would have low protein absorption, and their body might also lose beta-carotene.

Eggs are a food item that is often misunderstood due to their high cholesterol content. Although eggs contain balanced fat-based nutrients, they also have 200 – 250 mg of cholesterol. However, it must be noted that eggs are a fabulous source of unsaturated fats and other elements that help to overcome the negative effects of high cholesterol levels.

Besides the cholesterol produced internally, the body also gets cholesterol through food. The internally produced cholesterol is utilised for the daily functioning of the body and the organs. Bile salts facilitate the absorption of cholesterol from the food. When you consume an egg containing cholesterol, it is assumed that the internal cholesterol production gets reduced by one-fourth. This becomes possible when the functioning of the HMD Reductase enzyme in the liver gets regulated. Besides, studies show that cholesterol absorption is reduced by 25% in those who regularly consume cholesterol-rich foods. The American Heart Association has noted that there is no need to villainise eggs when the body is equipped to regulate cholesterol production and absorption.
(The writer is an assistant professor and head of the department at the University Poultry and Duck Farm, Mannuthy.)