brown or white?
Free range or organic?
Choosing eggs at the grocery store sometimes leaves you scratching your head.
So which egg is best for your health?
“Despite recent research and the 2020 Dietary Guidelines giving eggs the green light in healthy eating, conflicting information is still swirling in the media and online,” says Jess DeGore, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania registered dietitian and owner of DietitianJess.com.
“With the claims and confusion surrounding the different types, choosing the right egg can be a challenge for consumers looking for optimal health benefits,” he said.
Or, as registered dietitian nutritionist Bethany Thayer wisely puts it, “The broken information about eggs may leave you wondering what shell to crack” to support your health.
Read on for the health scoop on all things egg — with input from the experts.
Are brown or white eggs better for your health?
“Some people think that an egg with a brown shell has better nutrition than an egg with a white shell. This is not true,” said Thayer, who is also director of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan.
“The color of the shell comes from the color of the chicken.”
“Hens with brown feathers and brown earlobes produce brown eggs and hens with white feathers and white earlobes produce eggs with white shells,” he said, stressing that there is no nutritional difference between the two.
The color of the egg is determined by the color of the hen. spring onions – stock.adobe.com
What do ‘cage-free,’ ‘free-range’ and ‘organic’ eggs mean?
You may be wondering what this term on the egg carton has to do with the health properties of eggs as well.
Thayer refers to this term as a “marketing tool” and says it does not necessarily affect the nutritional specifications of the egg.
“Cage-free means the hen lives in an open coop with bedding material, perches and a nesting box for laying eggs — while free-range is a term used to indicate that the hen has constant free access to the outdoors. for over 51% of animal life — but [that] doesn’t make sure the animal actually goes outside,” Thayer said.
Pittsburgh’s DeGore notes that terms like “free range” are not regulated, so there is no set amount of time or type of outdoor setting that qualifies as free range.
“Some studies show that the microbiota (gut bacteria) differs between free-range and caged eggs,” DeGore said.
“Other studies have shown that free-range eggs also have a higher concentration of healthy fats and a lower amount of saturated fat.”
For organic?
Finally, “organic means that the chicken is raised without cages and free to roam and fed. [with] organic food,” said Thayer.
Hearing Thayer’s comments, DeGore shared that the organic label indicates that the chicken feed is grown without synthetic chemicals, antibiotics and growth hormones.
“It doesn’t show nutritional superiority.” In fact, according to Thayer, the classification of free-range, cage-free or organic “affects the nutritional value of eggs,” Thayer said.
Follow today’s most important news
Stay up to date with the Evening Update.
Why are some egg yolks darker than others?
You may be wondering if the yolk of an orange egg has different nutritional properties than the yolk of a light yellow egg.
“The nutritional value of eggs can only be affected by the nutritional content of the food itself,” Thayer said.
“For example, the color of egg yolk comes from carotenoids in their food. Adding more carotenoid-rich extracts to the feed can lead to a darker yolk, richer in carotenoids, antioxidants.”
He continues, “Hens can also be fed nutritionally enriched feed with other specific ingredients that lead to eggs being marketed with specific nutrient content labels. For example, they may be fortified with omega-3 fatty acids or extra vitamin D.
A note about eggs and cholesterol
“Eggs are rich in cholesterol – about 200 mg of cholesterol per egg. And because of this, it is recommended to limit yourself to one egg per day,” says Thayer.
However, as Thayer emphasizes, eggs also provide the benefits of protein, choline, biotin, vitamins A and D and antioxidants known as lutein and zeaxanthin (the latter two nutrients support eye health).
The final decision to choose an egg
As it turns out, there are no cut-and-dried answers when it comes to what type of egg is best for your health.
“Most nutritional differences between different egg varieties are minimal, so I don’t think it’s a decision to stress about. Instead, choose the one that best suits your preferences,” says DeGore.
“It is true that organic conditions and free range may contribute to a better health profile,” he said.
DeGore points out that no matter which egg you choose, you’re still making a nutritious choice that provides protein, vitamins and minerals.
As it turns out, there are no cut-and-dried answers when it comes to what type of egg is best for your health. Serhii – stock.adobe.com
Whatever type of eggs you buy, Thayer says make sure you handle the eggs safely.
“Contaminated chickens can transmit salmonella to the inside of eggs, and salmonella can penetrate even the porous eggshell,” Thayer said, adding that you should always wash your hands before and after handling eggs.
Be sure to refrigerate eggs immediately to 40°F or below after purchasing them.
Also, avoid storing them on the refrigerator door where temperatures are warmer, Thayer advises.
Throw out cracked eggs too, he added.
Ready to rustle?
“Cook the eggs until the whites and yolks are set, and they reach an internal temperature of 160°F,” says Thayer.
Also, keep in mind when organizing lunch: “Don’t let hard-boiled eggs or egg dishes sit at room temperature for more than two hours.”
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
