Florida Agenda

By Andy kress

Breakfast dishes would not be quite the same without the incredible, edible egg. This healthy protein is one of the top choices when Americans sit down in the morning before heading off to work, or relax at a Sunday brunch. Yet recently eggs have been getting a bad rap, as a new health conscious fad suggests that it’s healthier to eat the egg white alone, disposing of the yolk which has been labeled as ladened with fat and cholesterol.

Restaurants have jumped on the bandwagon. One can choose to have egg white only omelets, burritos, and breakfast sandwiches. Cutting down calories per sitting seems to be a wise and health conscious choice.

In theory, getting rid of the fatty part of the egg should help those individuals who want to lose those last few extra pounds. The mistake in this logic is that with the affordable egg, Mother Nature has given us a complete perfect food. Toss out the yolk, and you’ll be missing out on the healthiest part of the egg!

The yolk is very high in antioxidants, a spectrum of vitamins and minerals, as well as healthy cholesterol-fighting Omega-3 fats and all of the essential fatty acids. Yolks contain vitamin A, plus vitamins B6 and B12, other trace minerals, choline, foliate, lecithin and lutien (which gives egg yolks their color).

B vitamins are especially helpful for nerve function, while lecithin is a natural emulsifier rich in choline, which aids in the process of fat metabolization in the body. Although the body already produces enough choline for normal needs, added dietary sources aid in reducing the accumulation of fat in the liver and help repair neurological damage. Lutien is an antioxidant, which helps in the prevention of inflammation (which is a major factor in fighting heart disease), and also helps strengthen the eyes.

The yolk also contains 90% of the calcium in the egg, far outweighing the egg white. Iron, phosphorus, zinc and panthothentic acid are only found in the egg yolk, but not the white. In addition, the yolks also contain all of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

The Omega-3 fats in eggs are essential to lowering fat and cholesterol. Eating the entire egg actually raises your good HDL levels and lowers your LDL levels. This helps improve the overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry in your body.

This helps keep the fat burning hormones in the body in check, keeping more fat from being stored and burning more of the fat that is already there. This should be duly noted by anyone who is trying to lose weight.

As wonderful as the egg yolk sounds, consume it in moderation. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than four egg yolks a week. Eating the correct amount of yolks along with the egg whites keeps cholesterol levels within the AHA guidelines of 300mg a day.

The extra calories in the egg yolk are really no extra calories at all when you look in the grand scheme of your day. Egg yolks do contain more calories than egg whites, but the yolks micro-nutrient-rich density of those calories actually aids in appetite regulation. This helps you eat less and lowers overall calorie intake for the day.

Oh, and one more thing: Eggs yolks contain all of the flavor! Next time you go to toss out that powerhouse of energy and nutrients, stop yourself, armed with the knowledge that you’re starting your bright, new sun-shiny day correctly.