Egg, The Cheapest Source Of Protein

Every year the ‘World Egg Day’ is celebrated to creating awareness on the importance of egg and its great value in human nutrition. Last year the day was celebrated on Friday, October 9!

Egg is the cheapest natural source of protein with many key ingredients for sustaining life. It is treated as a complete food. It contains an essential element called choline which is important for liver, heart and brain health.

Economic importance of egg is also much high. In Bangladesh, a huge number of people are engaged in poultry industry. Eggs produced by these industries are widely consumed by our people. Eggs are within affordable price for most consumers.

Unfortunately, due to the outcome of some observational studies, whether to eat egg or not is still under debate. It is said that egg yolk contains high cholesterol which is harmful for heart and some other organs.

But latest scientific research has proved that eggs don’t adversely affect blood cholesterol because dietary cholesterol does not increase cholesterol.  

Rather egg increases good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol. In fact, eggs do not do any harm to otherwise healthy humans. And there is no reason to eat egg’s white portion only by discarding the yolk. A single boiled egg contains so many vitamins, calcium, zinc plus other trace nutrients essential for good health.

This author feels that the International Egg Commission and the World Health Organization should undertake some practical research projects to determe the true effects of eggs on human body. And it is expected that findings of such a scientific research would bring an end to the egg debate confirming egg as an ideal food for all.

For centuries, eggs have played a major role in feeding families around the globe. They are an unbeatable package when it comes to versatility and top-quality protein at a very affordable price. And they are also an excellent source of choline, essential in memory and brain development. When you factor in convenience and terrific taste, there is just no competition.

Eggs are one of nature’s highest quality sources of protein, and indeed contain many of the key ingredients for life. The proteins contained within eggs are highly important in the development of the brain and muscles, have a key role to play in disease prevention and contribute to general wellbeing.

(The author is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Information System, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka. email: prof_haque@hotmail.com)