Eggs are probably one of nature's complete foods and one of the most inexpensive sources of complete protein, minerals, and vitamins. Aside from chicken egg, which is the most popular, there are other edible species such as duck eggs (made into balut, penoy, itlog na maalat and century eggs and quail egg.
Even with its small size, chicken egg is a well-balanced and economical source of important nutrients. It contains high-quality and levels of protein comparable to red meat, fish and chicken. They also contain all the vitamins except Vitamin C. Minerals iron and phosphorous are in the high levels, but calcium is low. An adult needs two to four eggs a week, while young children would need two to three eggs. There is the general notion that eating eggs is considered a high risk for cardiovascular ailments because of their high cholesterol content. But at a recent health forum organized by the Philippine College of Physicians, Dr. Robin B. Navarro, a specialist in cellular and biochemical medicine, said daily consumption of eggs actually reduces the chance of stroke, Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Lecithin-rich egg, in fact, helps break down cholesterol in the body. Studies also reveal low level of stroke incidents in countries with high consumption of eggs such as France, Japan, Spain, and Mexico as compared to the Philippines where the consumption rate is one egg a week. Dr. Navarro also pointed out that cholesterol does not come directly from our food, because 75 percent is produced by the liver alone. The body absorbs only about 2 to 4 mg. of cholesterol per day, per kg. of body weight. Eggs, Dr. Navarro explained, contribute to strong and firm muscles,healthy skin, speedy growth of infants and children, good eyesight, tissue repair and brain development of the fetus and newborn. It is also easy to digest. The most common ways of cooking eggs are fried, sunny-side up, scrambled or hard cooked. But did you realize that because of their composition and properties, eggs are versatile and have more uses than you can imagine? Among the many uses of eggs are: binder for mixtures (meatballs), thickener for sauces (Hollandaise) and cus¬tards (leche flan), coating for foods (fried pork chop), and as an emulsi-fier for mayonnaise. Egg whites are also used to clarify soup stocks and to glaze pastries and breads. Eggs are the kind of food that can be served at breakfast, lunch, dinner or even in-be¬tween meals, and in a variety of ways. Breakfast usually means fried or boiled egg (for the finicky, the perfect five-minute boil), or, for the more adventurous, omelets. For lunch it could be Egg Foo Yong. For dinner it could be an entree of Eggs in Aspic. And the perfect sweet cap could be a dessert of Creme Bru lee. Egg is at home in all kinds of cuisine. In a Chinese restaurant you can have Seaweed with Century Egg, in a French bistro, Quiche Lorraine, or Arroz a la Cubana in a Spanish café, or even in a sidewalk munching on balut at penoy. Remember that eggs are nature's almost—complete food, all inside a small, delicate shell.
Source: Nestle Good Food, Good Life
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