The national egg day was first recognized on 3rd June 1920 during the construction of a new highway dedicated to the transportation of poultry products in the town of Winlock in Washington.
Knowing Eggs Better On California’s National Egg Day
However, the official ‘National Egg Day’ was first observed in California in August 1920, but in later years, the date was shifted back to 3rd June.
In the present time, this day is utilized by commercial houses to launch new deals and offers in the market.
Celebrating National Egg Day; in a different way
There are many questions when it comes to the consumption of eggs. Some of them are, if eggs are healthy when consumed every day, are the brown ones better than the white ones, and what exactly is the deal with raw egg yolk consumption.
This National Egg Day is celebrated by an endeavor to know eggs better by busting some myths, having some expert views, and having a better understanding of the most popular breakfast essential across the globe.
Health benefits of eggs:
Eggs are rich in nutrients in every calorie that is consumed. Some of these nutrients are iron, phosphorus, potassium, and iodine.
One large egg on average contains 72 calories and 6 grams of protein, as stated in the data of the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central data.
Eggs also contain a comparatively less popular nutrient called choline that promotes the development of the brain and nervous system, particularly among children.
A study was published in the journal, Nutrients in the year 2017. It analyzed the choline intake from different food sources of the participating individuals.
These details were obtained from individuals enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2009-2014 and the data set of pregnant women between 2005-2014.
The conclusion of the study states that achieving the adequate level (AL) of choline was very difficult without daily consumption of eggs in one’s diet plan.
Eggs also contain vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and vitamin E.
As stated by Dr. Andrew Odegard, associate professor at the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California Irvine, many other factors should be considered while assessing the benefits of eggs, depending on where a person resides and how the eggs are produced.
Odegard further adds, eggs are a good source of basic nutrients needed in the overall diet.
Busting some myths:
Contrary to popular belief brown eggs are not better than white eggs in any way.
Colleen Sideck, a registered dietician and technical information specialist for the nutrition.gov site at the National Agricultural Library of the USDA, states that the nutrition content of eggs solely depends on the diet of the hen rather than any color that the eggs may possess.
According to the research of the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, eggs from pastured hens contain twice vitamin A, E and omega-3 fatty acids compared to eggs from commercial farms.
Raw eggs often form an ingredient in certain cocktails. The yolk in this case can get infected by the salmonella enteritidis bacteria that is found on the shells of the eggs and that perforates within the yolk as the eggs are laid.
Hence the USDA does not recommend the consumption of uncooked or half-cooked eggs in any form.
Eggs forming a part of a healthy diet.
Eggs can be incorporated into the diet as a protein source. Proteins make up one-fourth of our plate and can be consumed in combination with fruits and vegetables.
However, the meal should be balanced by the inclusion of other food and nutrient sources like lean meat, whole grains, dairy, and fresh vegetables.
A professor of nutrition at George Mason University, Margaret Slavin, states that, while planning a healthy meal containing eggs, one should be vigilant not to incorporate any added sugar, processed food, sodium, and solid fat in the diet.
The experts in health and nutrition suggest a moderate consumption of egg, that is one egg for a healthy adult to be the baseline that can be followed to maintain a general good health
