Nutritional properties
Eggs are a highly lipid and equally protein food; in Italy, when not specified, by "eggs" we mean those of oviparous hens, relatively differentiated and cataloged on the basis of specific hygienic-product regulations.
Why are eggs food? Eggs are considered a food as they are edible products in one or more of their parts (with the exception of the shell, almost exclusively inorganic), containing nutrients, easily chewable, digestible and absorbable, and free of toxic substances.
1st food group
In our country, the major nutrition bodies (INN and SINU) distinguish and differentiate foods into VII groups:
- Group I: meat, fish and eggs
- Group II: milk and derivatives
- Group III: cereals and derivatives
- Group IV: legumes
- Group V: seasoning fats
- Group VI: yellow or green vegetables and fruits, sources of vitamin A
- Group VII: vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C.
This subdivision has a simple cataloging function and has nothing to do with the IMPORTANCE of foods or with the recommended FREQUENCY of consumption; rather, it seems to bring together all products with similar nutritional characteristics in representative groups.
Group I - meat, fish (fishery products) and eggs: what unites all these foods is the high biological value of the proteins contained in them (on the basis of which it should also include group II of milk and derivatives). rich in vitamins of the B complex and are characterized by a variable quantity of lipids; they DO NOT contain significant quantities of carbohydrates.
Eggs, in particular, also contain excellent quantities of vitamin A and its precursors (β carotene), mineral salts such as phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), sulfur (S) and iron (Fe); the latter in bioavailable form (heme or ferrous iron).
An average whole chicken egg weighs about 60g, of which 53g consist of egg white and yolk. These provide about 70kcal deriving from 6.6g proteins and lipids (4.5g). The nutritional intake listed so far, all in all seems good, the only flaw is constituted by the lipid portion of cholesterol which amounts to 190-200mg, taking also in consideration that the fatty acids are mostly of the saturated type. To learn more, read the article: eggs and cholesterol
- Having said this, it is possible to establish that the average intake of eggs in the diet could probably be 3-4 eggs per week, including those hidden in food (which can in any case be ascertained by means of the labels placed on the packages).
What eggs to eat?
On the market it is possible to find different types of eggs and of different sizes; the oviparous animals exploited in Italy are only birds, among which we remember: hen, quail, goose, duck, guinea fowl, turkey, etc.
With regard to the information obtained from the food composition tables, it is also possible to make a comparison:
As can be seen from the above values, the substantial difference between the different types of eggs lies in the energy and lipid intake; at the same time, small differences are also observed in the saline intake (especially iron), but in principle it is It is possible to state that the use of chicken eggs or other species is easily replaceable.
In the event that there are alterations in the blood lipid picture (hypercholesterolemia) it is advisable to prefer chicken or turkey eggs to goose or duck eggs.
Bibliography:
- The power supply - V. Balboni - Alphatest - page 56
- Food composition tables - National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research (INRAN)
