Sometimes,
In our search for health,
We overlook the simplest foods that nature has already given us.
One of these is the egg.
Small,
Familiar,
And often underestimated.
Yet,
Eggs are one of the nature's nearly perfect protein foods,
Carrying nutrients that support growth,
Repair,
And balance in our bodies.
Eating simple can truly boost our health,
And the egg is a reminder of how powerful that simplicity can be.
Let's take a closer look.
I will mostly refer to the chicken egg,
As it is the most common in our daily lives.
The average chicken egg weighs about 58 grams.
75% of it is water,
Not so different from the human body itself.
About 12% is protein,
And 11% is fat.
The exact composition can vary depending on the hen's diet,
Age,
And environment.
But,
Across studies,
The egg remains a remarkably balanced food.
It is low in carbohydrates,
Provides around 12 grams of protein per 100 grams,
And contains essential fatty acids,
Especially the heart-friendly monounsaturated kind.
Eggs are also a valuable source of micronutrients that many people lack,
Especially in Western diets.
They provide zinc,
Selenium,
Retinol,
And tocopherols,
Which help protect the body and support immune function.
The yolk,
Often wrongly criticized in the past,
Is the part richest in vitamins.
It contains B vitamins,
Like B6,
B12,
Folic acids,
And thiamine,
As well as the fat-soluble vitamins A,
D,
E,
And K.
Feet foods in nature naturally contain vitamin D,
And egg yolk is one of them.
Yolk also carries more calcium,
Phosphorus,
Selenium,
And zinc than the white,
As opposed to what is known.
The albumen,
Or the egg white,
Is equally valuable.
It contains more than half of the egg's total protein,
Along with niacin,
Magnesium,
Potassium,
And sodium,
And enough of the fat.
Together,
The yolk and the white create a partnership,
One providing dense nutrition,
The other a higher quality protein foundation.
For many years,
Eggs were avoided because of their cholesterol content.
People were told that eating eggs might raise blood cholesterol levels and harm the heart.
Today,
Research tells us a different story.
Our liver produces most of the cholesterol found in our blood,
And it adjusts production depending on how much cholesterol we eat.
The cholesterol in eggs does not automatically raise blood cholesterol.
In fact,
Eggs can even support the increase of HDL,
The so-called good cholesterol,
Which helps clear LDL,
The bad cholesterol,
From the bloodstream.
For most people,
Enjoying an egg a day is not only safe,
But beneficial.
Now,
A small but practical detail.
How we cook eggs matters.
If you have ever noticed a greenish-gray ring around the yolk of a hard-boiled egg,
You have seen a chemical reaction,
Which is harmless,
Between sulfur in the white and iron in the yolk,
Forming ferrous sulfide.
It looks unappealing,
But it isn't dangerous.
You can prevent it by avoiding overcooking and cooling eggs quickly after boiling.
This way,
Both taste and nutrients are preserved.
Freshness is another quality we all can wonder about.
There is a simple way to test it at home.
Place the egg in a bowl filled with water.
A fresh egg sinks to the bottom and lies flat.
An egg that is a few weeks old may stand upright on the bottom,
But is still safe to eat.
If it falls to the surface,
It should be discarded.
Nature offers us this easy sign,
A small reminder that even freshness can be tested with simplicity.
When we step back,
The egg is not just food,
But a symbol.
Compact,
Versatile,
And nourishing.
It shows that health does not always require complexity.
We do not always need rare ingredients or elaborate diets.
Sometimes,
Balance comes from what is most familiar,
What has been on our tables for generations.
So next time you prepare an egg,
Whether boiled,
Poached,
Or gently scrambled,
Remember its quiet power.
This small,
Simple food carries water,
Protein,
Fats,
Vitamins,
And minerals in harmony.
It supports growth,
Protects the body,
And reminds us that sometimes the simplest choices are the most nourishing ones.
