The traditional Easter breakfast involves eating lots of eggs – of the real and the chocolate variety. We all know that the high sugar content chocolate we so love here in the UK should only be enjoyed in smallish doses – but what of the egg itself? 

Certainly over the last few years the egg has its fair share of bad press – as the source of Salmonella to being the cause of high Cholesterol levels. 

In recent years, however, it has been redeemed as a nutritious and delicious foodstuff. 

So what is the truth about the egg? 

Salmonella contamination in UK produced eggs has fallen threefold since 95/96 as a result of the measures taken by the industry to reduce salmonella outbreaks. Therefore the risk of getting salmonella from UK produced eggs is extremely low.  

It is hardly surprising that nutritionists were worried about the egg raising cholesterol levels given that a single egg contains around 5 grams of fat. It was assumed that this would clog the arteries, especially as eggs have a high cholesterol content.  But cholesterol isn’t necessarily bad for you. It is, in fact, an essential part of the diet - required for cell building and nerve fibre insulation amongst other things. And just because a foodstuff has a high cholesterol content, that doesn’t mean it will push up your blood cholesterol level. According to all the research, it is the level of saturated fat in the diet that contributes directly to blood cholesterol levels – and all the major UK health organizations agree with this fact. 

Eggs are a fantastic source of protein – the protein in them is of such good quality (high biological value) that it is the standard to which all other foodstuffs are compared. Just one medium egg provides 12% of the male and 14% of the female daily protein requirement. 

There is a high level of choline in eggs. This nutrient is essential for the memory – if a pregnant woman’s diet is deficient in choline, the baby’s brain will not develop properly and it will have lower memory capabilities for life! Studies show that giving choline in utero leads to a better than average memory!

Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D. They also contain Vitamins A, E and the B Vitamins. They are a good source of minerals such as iron (important for building red blood cells and preventing anaemia), iodine (essential for the production of the thyroid hormones) and calcium (for healthy bones and teeth). Eggs also contain certain trace elements such as zinc which contributes to our level of immunity. Antioxidants such as selenium are also present in significant quantities in eggs – such substances help prevent cellular damage from toxins and stress. 

It used to be said that we should limit our daily/weekly  egg consumption, but the FSA now says that if you are eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, there is no upper limit! 

And eggs are low in calories – a medium egg only contains around 76 calories. Research shows that eating eggs for breakfast actually helps us to reduce our total daily calorie intake – great news for those of us trying to get rid of our winter weight before summer.

There seems to be absolutely no doubt – eggs are good for you!