For millennia, the egg has stirred imagination, devotion, and debate. To some, it has symbolised life, rebirth, and cosmic mystery. Ancient Egyptians entombed them with the dead, Persians exchanged them at New Year, Muslims offer them in sacrifice and Christians transformed them into chocolate at Easter. Yet no group has argued more vociferously about the egg than nutritionists.
What makes the egg so intriguing is that it holds opposites within itself, it is both liquid and solid, rich in both fat and protein. It represents the idea of balance in our diet.
From Culinary Pariah to Protein Powerhouse
While dieticians busied themselves debating yolks in scientific journals and cholesterol charts, the egg industry endured and survived strong shifts in public opinion, especially when eggs were criticised for their cholesterol content and labelled as unhealthy.
Influenced by guidelines issued in 1968 recommending a daily cholesterol limit of 300mg, one large yolk contains approximately 186mg; as a result, many Americans began discarding yolks as if they were toxic. Egg sales collapsed, vilified as the enemy of arteries everywhere. Omelettes were replaced with low fat cereal, tofu scrambles, and processed egg replacements for breakfast menus.
The 1990s witnessed the rise of the egg white. Bodybuilders swore by their daily dozen, and restaurants proudly served pallid omelettes that resembled damp pillows. The yolk, rich in nutrients, became a nutritional scapegoat.
A 2006 study in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care concluded that dietary cholesterol had limited impact on blood cholesterol in most people. Our bodies, clever things, adjust their own production accordingly. This was followed by another study in 2013 published in the British Medical Journal confirming there was no strong link between egg consumption and heart disease or stroke in healthy individuals. Harvard’s School of Public Health echoed this, asserting that cholesterol in food has only a modest effect on blood levels for most.
Yet, as study after study emerged clearing the egg’s name, confidence slowly returned. By the 2010s, protein was the “nutrient du jour” (of the day), as fats were no longer seen as unhealthy or bad as they once were. Hence eggs made a glorious comeback and the golden-yolked eggs once again graced brunch plates, Instagram feeds, and gym goers’ meal plans.
The economic ripple was global. By the 2020s, egg consumption soared in countries even in Pakistan, where health conscious middle classes embraced them as an affordable, high quality source of protein. We had come full circle: the egg, once dismissed as poor man’s fare, returned as a weight loss hero.
The Egg’s Nutritional CV
Let us consider the nutritional profile of a single large egg (approximately 50g):
- Calories: 70–78
- Protein: 6-7 grams (complete with all essential amino acids)
- Fat: 5 grams (1.6g saturated, 2g monounsaturated)
- Cholesterol: ~186 mg (predominantly in the yolk)
- Vitamins: A, D, E, B12, B2, B5, biotin
- Minerals: Phosphorus, selenium, iodine, iron
- Choline: ~147 mg (essential for brain health)
- Lutein & Zeaxanthin: Key antioxidants for eye health
Raw Eggs and Smoothie Culture
A word of caution to the smoothie generation: raw eggs are not advisable. Beyond the risk of salmonella, raw whites contain avidin, which blocks biotin absorption unless cooked.
Unless one relishes vitamin deficiency and microbial roulette, it is best to cook one’s eggs. Poached, boiled, scrambled just not raw and reckless.
So, Should You Eat the Whole Egg?
For the vast majority of healthy adults, the answer is unequivocally yes. Unless advised otherwise by a medical professional due to specific. Consuming one egg per day is not only safe but beneficial.
Athletes and older adults, in particular, can benefit from the egg’s high quality protein and choline. And remember vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble. Discard the yolk, and you discard their main vehicle. Consumption of eggs must still be in moderation, which remains as the golden rule.
The Egg as Symbol and Sustenance
The egg is no longer the villain it was made out to be. The yolk has been vindicated. The white remains a protein powerhouse. And breakfast has regained its sense of completeness.
Mark Twain once warned, “Be cautious when reading health books. You may die of a misprint.” The same caution applies to nutrition headlines. One day the yolk is deadly, the next, it’s brain food.
The writer can be contacted at dew.saba@gmail.com
