‘Eggs, we need eggs!’
Well, in English this statement doesn’t quite work like it does in German. What the famous German goalkeeper titan meant in an infamous post-game interview can be grasped if you exchange the word eggs with balls. However, the literal translation will work as this week’s lead because we do need eggs. How many, which eggs, and why? Tutorial Thursday 39 will give the answers!
You can’t think of a modern household without it: eggs! They can be turned into various snacks and meals, are an important ingredient not only for cakes, and provide precious nutrients. But are eggs healthy?
Many nutrients in a small container
It is a fact that eggs contain not only a bunch of carbohydrates but also a number of important nutrients. It consists mainly of water (74%), but it also contains protein (13%), and essential unsaturated fatty acids (12%). In an egg you will also find almost all vitamins, except vitamin C, in different ratios, 11 different amino acids (building blocks for protein), 12 different minerals and trace elements, and more than seven fatty acids. The contents of phosphor, selenium, iodine, and sodium are impressive. According to an Austrian study 100 g of egg will already cover 15-25% of the recommended daily intake. The content of calcium, magnesium, manganese, and coper, however, is rather low and nutrition-physiologically almost irrelevant. It’s different with vitamins, though: we can find vitamin A, D, E, K, and all B vitamins in eggs. Eventually, there is supposed to grow a new life in this small container after all. This is probably the reason why the nutrients in eggs push and shove like teenies at a Justin Bieber concert.
Eggs as fat provider
The fatty acid profile is especially interesting: in addition to a few saturated fatty acids, the multiple unsaturated fatty acids Omega 3 and Omega 6 play a major role. The optimal ratio between the two should be 1 to 2-3 in your body. With most eggs this is not the case, however! They mostly come from industrial livestock farming where laying hens don’t have enough space, fresh air, and sunlight and are fed with Omega 6-heavy concentrated feed and antibiotics in an unbalanced diet instead of appropriately picking, pawing, and eating natural food like seeds, worms, and little insects. This diet will show in the nutrient profile of the egg: Omega 3 to Omega 6 – 1 to 30!!!
Note: an Omega 6-heavy diet can promote infections and negatively affect your athletic performance, slow down the regeneration process, and overburden your immune system- It is exactly this aspect that, in my opinion, should be more in the center of attention of nutritionists instead of the outdated demonization of cholesterol. The assumption that high egg consumption could dangerously increase the cholesterol level has thankfully already been disproven years ago.
In conclusion, when consuming eggs we can significantly influence our health. In the positive as well the negative sense.
Eggs as protein source
To satisfy your daily protein demand of about 2 g per kg bodyweight I would have to eat approximately 27 eggs. Each day! No, thanks…
Thus, eggs are the perfect choice in combination with other protein sources to cover your protein intake. Did you know that the biggest part of the protein is actually in the egg yolk and not, as commonly assumed, in the egg white? I have no idea where the wrong equation egg white = protein comes from.
To summarize it all: eggs are not necessarily healthy! Healthy eggs are healthy! If we assume an appropriate nutrition (based on our metabolism) eggs are a great nutrient source. From an evolutionary point of view we have always appreciated that. The quantities have obviously changed, though. And to cover the huge demand many farmers have used inappropriate conditions in which laying hens are turned into living egg producing machines and are fed more with antibiotics than natural food. That’s why you should pay close attention to origin and quality of the eggs you eat. As with everything that you put in your mouth hole.
Here’s a tasty recipe for a post-workout snack:
- cook 2-3 medium-sized potatoes, peel, and dice
- dice 1 small paprika
- clean and dice 50g fresh mushrooms
- dice 1 medium-sized onion
- dice 1 big garlic clove
- stir 4-6 eggs in a bowl
- 1 dash of salt and pepper
- chop up fresh herbs and
- add 2 tea spoons of cream and stir thoroughly
- roast paprika and mushrooms gently in olive oil (attention: don’t heat too much)
- after ca. 3 min. add onion, garlic, and potatoes
- after 1 min. add egg mix to the pan and let bake on medium heat. Turn over if necessary.
Enjoy your meal!