Posted on 04/18/2009 9:42:57 AM PDT by JoeProBono
Celebrations of spring — both religious and secular — almost always include eggs. These symbols of creation, fertility and rebirth are also extraordinary little nutrition packages, and are present in many of the things we eat.
The average large chicken egg provides 75 calories and 6.3 grams of protein in addition to calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and zinc. An egg also has about 5 grams of fat and 200 milligrams of cholesterol.
Is that too much cholesterol — the source of the egg's unhealthy rep? Probably not. Most cholesterol is produced in our own bodies, and although there is a correlation between high cholesterol levels and increased risk of heart attack, there's no direct causative link between cholesterol from outside sources and heart disease. Eating six eggs for breakfast every day is probably excessive, but eating a couple of eggs on occasion won't hurt.
With the exception of protein, most of an egg's nutrition is contained in the yolk, which contains three quarters of the calories and most of the nutrients. The white, on the other hand, is mostly water (one of its purposes is to provide water to the growing embryo) and proteins. The white also serves as a cushion protecting the yolk/embryo and has both antibacterial and antiviral characteristics. In fact, an egg that hasn't been contaminated before the shell forms will keep safely for two or three days without refrigeration and as long as a month if refrigerated.
Eggs are one of the few foods in Western cuisine that play an equal role in both sweet and savory dishes. Custards in the form of a quiche are typically savory, but custards are also sweetened to make pots de creme or flans. Souffles, too, may be sweet or savory. Eggs also add richness and texture to sweet (lemon curd) and savory (hollandaise) sauces.
Despite assertions to the contrary, the color of an egg's shell indicates nothing about its content and is determined by the hen's breed. Whether brown, white or blue-green on the outside, eggs are nutritionally the same, and flavor is primarily a function of freshness and the hen's diet. However, it is true that old eggs will float while fresh eggs will sink in fresh water. It's also true that older eggs are easier to peel when hard-boiled than fresh eggs.
There is a lot of lore associated with the egg, in addition to its role as a symbol of spring. In Chinese mythology, the universe began as an egg containing the god Pangu; and in Finnish myths, the world was created from fragments of duck egg. Eggs also feature in the creation stories of other cultures around the world from Africa to Polynesia.
And if you've ever wondered which came first, eggs existed long before chickens evolved. In fact, novelist Samuel Butler noted that "chickens are an egg's way of making more eggs."
The larger question, is which came first, the chicken or the egg?
“And if you’ve ever wondered which came first, eggs existed long before chickens evolved. In fact, novelist Samuel Butler noted that “chickens are an egg’s way of making more eggs.”
I read a study years back where they intentionally put some folks on diets high in eggs and egg products.
Results?
Serum HDL (the good stuff) went up, and their LDL went down.
Eggs are high in lecithin, which might have some bearing on it. Lecithin is quite good for you.
I pigged out well enough to spank my tummy! Did you pig out?
I love my eggs sunny side up with a little salt and a good sprinkling of ground black pepper. Buttered white toast. Grape jelly or peach jam. Sausage, ham, or bacon. Bottomless cup of coffee with creamer. A small tomato juice.
The larger question, is which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Chicken, see Gen 1:20 in the Holy Bible KJV/ Chickens can fly, not very well or far but they can fly.
We ate turkey eggs when I was growing up (and straight from the cow milk, yuuuuum, but that’s another story). The double yolks were the best.
I remember putting some aside and letting them dry out. The insides would stick to one side so that when you rolled them, they’d wobble, lol. I still have a box of them that granny kept. Simpler times.
I would like to just once eat an egg fron a California Condor. I know where they nest, the eight foot wing span they have sort of makes me hesitant about climbing up there. Their eggs are big ones. If I ever achieve that, there will be an unmistakably loud CAW CAW from 600 feet up.
Amd eggs can prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older people:
“Consumption of One Egg Per Day Increases Serum Lutein and Zeaxanthin Concentrations in Older Adults without Altering Serum Lipid and Lipoprotein Cholesterol Concentrations”
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/136/10/2519
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