Universally, eggs are one of the world’s most consumed breakfast items. Cheap and quick to make, they are well-liked by bachelors, busy housewives, sports personnel, and fast food establishments as a convenient breakfast or snack. 

Famed as a super-food due to their protein content, are eggs really a ‘healthy’ food that you should be consuming? Read on to know all about it.

1. The Protein Saga

A whole egg is 32% protein and the egg white is 100% protein. The hen's egg is jam-packed with proteins, fats, cholesterol, vitamins, and minerals. After all, it is food to give birth to a new life.

Infants, growing children, and adults actually need, at most, 5% of their calories from protein. Therefore, eggs and egg products are 6 to 20 times more concentrated in protein than we need. 

2. High In Fats

Eggs are more than 60% fat with zero fiber.

Over consumption of fats and proteins can have serious health consequences like over-stressing the kidneys, premature aging, impaired liver function, osteoporosis, etc. High protein foods cause acidic build-up in the body and along with high-fat foods they can lead to the development of tumors and cancers. 

3. High Cholesterol

Fats and cholesterol in eggs promote the formation of cholesterol gallstones, obesity, and type-2 diabetes. Egg yolks are loaded with cholesterol. A medium-sized egg contains 186 mg of cholesterol, which is 62 percent of the recommended intake.

High cholesterol consumption is linked with the development of atherosclerosis, heart diseases, and increased risk of cancers of the stomach, ovary, colon, rectum, pancreas, lung, breast, kidney, bladder, and bone marrow.

4. Sulfur Content

Eggs are high in sulfur which creates a string of acidic waste - in the form of sulfuric acid, which creates aches and pains, inflammation, arthritis, gout, and other health issues.

5. Egg Allergies

Egg protein is a common source of allergy in infants, children, and adults. It can cause many problems from respiratory issues, skin issues to indigestion. Eggs are incredibly difficult to digest well by most people – being concentrated sources of fat, cholesterol, and protein. Hence eggs exacerbate allergy symptoms and cause flare-ups.

6. Cruelty To Birds

Normally, in the wild, hens lay only around 25-30 eggs per year but the poultry industry forces them to lay 250 eggs per year – That’s 10 Times More!

The industry kills newly-hatched male chicks as they don’t lay eggs and hence are a burden for the poultry farmer. They are thrown into high-speed grinders to be killed. Female chicks have their claws burnt off, without anesthesia or pain relief measures, to prevent them from injuring themselves or each other while living in cramped conditions.

Chickens in battery cages live in such small areas that they are unable to spread their wings and live in cramped conditions throughout their life. Hens are very social animals who like to forage for food, take dust-baths, perch and live in social groups. They are unable to express any of their natural instinctive behaviors if subjected to a life of captivity.

“Hens are most often fed antibiotics and genetically modified grains to fatten them quickly.”

7. Egg Industry Harms Environment

All animal industries come at a huge cost to the environment. The egg industry produces a lot of greenhouse gases. The animals themselves produce a lot of waste in the form of ammonia and carbon dioxide. The huge number of pesticides uses in these industries pollute the local water bodies and air.

“Many of the studies which claim that eggs are good for health are in fact promoted by the egg industries themselves.”

Egg Substitutes

If you are missing some of your favorite recipes using eggs, you can do with many healthier substitutes and still enjoy your favorite egg-based meals.

Here is a recipe for an omelet using chickpea flour

Eggless Baking Tips

Eggs are used in baking for their fat content, for their binding capability, and as a carrier of flavors and fat.

1. Instead of using eggs, the same effect can be achieved by using healthier sources of fat like paste of nuts, nut milks, avocado, etc.

2. The moisture content of eggs can be substituted by using applesauce, mashed bananas, or other fruit purees.

3. For the binding capability given by eggs, you can instead substitute by using a paste made of flax seed powder or chia seed powder.

4. Leavening can be achieved by using baking powder or baking soda and lemon juice.

Try out these recipes and you will know that there is really no need to bring back eggs into your life.

1. Whole wheat chocolate cake

2. Ragi brownies

3. Peanut butter cookies

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