Got Eggs?

Eggstraordinary!

A Half-Dozen Reasons to Eat Eggs

The much misunderstood egg is back and better for you than ever! Here's a half dozen to reach for a dozen the next time you shop.

1. Eggs are cheap. Money’s tight, and meat is costly. A 4-ounce serving of salmon will set you back about $4; the same amount of steak runs anywhere from $2 to $5. The cost of two eggs? 50 cents.
2. They’re rich in iron. Two eggs supply about 14 percent of a woman’s daily iron requirements, about 22 percent for men—important news, since many Americans are deficient in this essential nutrient.
3. An egg breakfast boosts weight loss. In one study, people who ate two eggs for their morning meal lost almost twice as much weight as those who ate the same number of calories, but started their day with a bagel. And a large egg has only 75 calories, about the same as an apple.
4. They have high-quality protein power. Two eggs supply 13 grams of protein, twice the amount in ½ cup of beans and about the same as 2 ounces of meat. And eggs have a biological value of 100, a measure of the proportion of absorbed protein from a food.
5. Eggs lower inflammation. They’re the richest source of choline, a hard-to-get nutrient that reduces inflammation. In a recent study, people who had the most choline in their diets showed 20 percent lower inflammation.
6. They’re serious brain food. The choline in eggs is also a key component of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that’s responsible for sleep, memory, attention, intelligence, and mood. It’s especially important for pregnant women, since choline plays a crucial role in fetal brain development.