Egg yolks have come under a barrage of attacks from fitness experts and weight watchers recently. The sweet yellow center of an egg has been criticized for its cholesterol and fat content. Though the egg yolk may not sit well in the bowels of weight watchers, the sweet ball of yellow has many benefits that go understated. Here are common myths about the egg yolk busted:
1. Egg yolk are associated with coronary and heart disease
This is surprisingly false. According to a study published in the British Journal of Medicine examining the relationship between egg consumption and coronary disease out of 17 studies done in 30 years, high consumption of eggs (an egg a day) has no association with increased risk of coronary heart disease or stroke.
Of course this goes against the myth that the maximum number of eggs you can have in a week should be three.
2. The egg white contains all the protein in the egg
This is all but false. The egg white is indeed home to the larger amount of protein, but as regards minerals and vitamins, the egg yolk takes the lead.
One large egg contains approximately 6.3 grams of protein. Of these, 3.6 grams are in the egg white while 2.7 grams in the yolk. Throwing away the yolk would mean losing out on almost half the protein found in an egg.
3. The yolk has no nutritional value
This is all too false. The egg has a wide range of nutrients that is uniquely rare for a single type of food. According to Maria Bella, the founder of Top Balance Nutrition in New York, very few foods have the same diverse nutrient make up that eggs have.
The egg yolk contains more of vitamin A, B12, and D, and also has more folate, omega-3 and calcium. In actual reality, egg yolk contains 10% of the recommended daily dose of calcium for a person.
So go ahead, indulge your taste buds on that sweet center of the egg.
