Eggs are one of nature’s truly remarkable products – they contain every nutrient needed to support life in their own handy container. Eggs have the highest quality protein; contain the pigments lutein and zeaxanthin which protect your eyes; have 12 minerals and 13 vitamins; are low in overall fat and saturated fat; and average 75 calories in a medium egg. The one downside is that eggs contain cholesterol, all of which is found in the yolk. The average large egg, today, has less cholesterol than was found in a large egg a decade ago – 186 milligrams, down from 213 milligrams. How can this be you wonder?
The USDA, which analyzes food for nutrient content, re-evaluated eggs in 2010 approximately 10 years since their last evaluation. The vitamins, minerals and calorie values were the same but the cholesterol was lower. There could be many reasons for the difference – selective hen breeding and improved feed composition which causes less cholesterol in eggs or simply improved cholesterol measuring techniques which provide a more accurate assessment.
