Learn About Types Of Eggs, Their Uses And The Sheer Benefits You Can Get From Them

Egg is one of the versatile food items we have in our pantry. It’s not only quick to make; it's loaded with essential nutrition which we require in our daily diet. 

Eggs are something we start our day with, in the breakfast. But have you ever wonder, What are the type of Eggs? And what are the nutrients and health benefits we are getting? Let's dig in to know!

Types of Eggs:

1) Chicken Eggs:

Caption: Versatile chicken eggs which are loaded with nutrients and makes fabulous bakery items.

Photo Credit: medium.com

There are different labels in chicken eggs like cage free, free- range eggs, organic eggs, omega-3 enriched eggs and also vegetarian-fed egg to choose from. Cage-free eggs come from chicken which is kept in the hen house, cramped conditions which may or may not have outdoors and pasture access.  

Free- range eggs, as per USAD, are laid by chickens, which are allowed access to the outside. Organic eggs are laid by chickens that are fed certified organic food and could be cage-free and free-range. Omega -3 enriched eggs comes from chickens which are fed a rich diet containing omega-3 fatty acids like flaxseed oil, linseed oil, and kelp. Vegetarian-Fed eggs are laid by the chickens which are fed diet without meat, fish or animal by-products and also the chickens are restricted to actual pasture or fields.

2) Quail Eggs:

Caption: Quail eggs looks small but flavorsome.

Photo Credit: organicfacts.net

Quail eggs are usually smaller in size and have a similar flavor as the chicken eggs. These eggs are dark brown to blue or white colors that are often served hard boiled with sea salt. 

Quail eggs contribute in improving vision and eye health, and studies have found that it has more potassium than the regular chicken eggs. Antioxidants present in quail eggs helps neutralize free radicals present in the body.

3) Duck Eggs:

Caption: Hard boiled duck egg with a vibrant colored yolk.

Photo Credit: shutterstock.com

Duck eggs look like chicken eggs and are usually larger than chicken eggs. Duck eggs contain more protein, higher fat content, and cholesterol than chicken eggs.

On boiling, egg white turns bluish, and the yolk becomes red-orange. The duck egg is as delicious as a chicken egg, but it's denser than chicken egg due to duck's diet.

Nutritional Value of Eggs:

Eggs contain one of the highest biological values of protein and are fully loaded with nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin. One large chicken egg contains 78 calories along with high-quality protein- 6.3 grams, Fat- 5.3 grams, saturated fat- 1.6 gram, 212 milligrams cholesterol along with vitamins, iron, carotenoids, and minerals.

Egg white contains more than half of the protein of the egg along with vitamin B12 and has a lower amount of cholesterol than the yolk. Moreover, the egg white is also rich in selenium, vitamin B6, B12, D and minerals like zinc, iron, and copper.

Egg yolk contains more calories and fat compared to egg white along with cholesterol, fat-soluble vitamins D, A, E, and k, and lecithin. A lecithin is an emulsifying compound which helps in recipes of hollandaise or mayonnaise.

Duck egg contains 130 calories, 9.64g fat, 1.02g carbs, 8.97g protein, cholesterol 619 mg sodium 102 mg, potassium 155 mg, Carbohydrate 1.02 gm along with calcium and vitamins.

Quail egg contains 14 calories, 1 g fat, 0.04g carbs, 1.17g protein, cholesterol 76 mg, sodium 13 mg, potassium 12 mg, Carbohydrate 0.04 gm along with calcium and vitamins.

Health Benefits:

Scientist learned that high cholesterol in blood has an association with heart disease, so logically the cholesterol in food became the suspect. But after 25 years of study, it is found that cholesterol in the food is not the reason, but the saturated fat present in fatty meat and full-fat dairy products contribute to a bigger effect on blood cholesterol.

The superfood egg raises good cholesterol or High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and people who have high HDL have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and several health problems. Lutein and zeaxanthin and antioxidants can prevent cataracts and muscular degeneration. 

Omega-3 enriched egg is a good way to reduce blood triglycerides- a risk factor for heart disease. Eggs are rich in protein and aid weight loss, increases muscle mass, optimize bone health and lower blood pressure as well.

Uses of Eggs:

Caption: Yummy Deviled egg ready to be served.

Photo Credit: babble.com

An egg is great to start the day with as poached, scrambled, omelet, half boiled or hard boiled. And for fussy children deviled eggs so yummy that it does the trick. We thank the egg for the delicious bakery items which we enjoy the most.

Also, raw egg is famous for curing the hangover. In the 19-century egg albumen- the clear gelatinous part of the egg with salt was used to create glossy coated paper. On using the paper for printing, it yielded precise images and was inexpensive as well.

Small and innocent looking eggs are loaded with essential nutrients for our daily diet. So incorporate eggs into your daily diet and move towards a healthy life. Eggs have never tasted as better as today as you know the nutrition and benefits of it. But people suffering from high cholesterol should be careful and consume eggs only in reasonable number as every possible good food has an ability to harm as well.