Gourab Basak, Asiya Mushtaq, Sumeet Singh, Priyanka Syal, Sundus Gazal, Abhilash Jadhao
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana
To boost our immune system, proper balanced diet plan, adequate sleep, stress management and regular exercises are the keys to the lock. A proper diet should consist eatables that beneficially affect one or more target functions in the body along with adequate nutritional effects maintaining fitness of the body and keeping the same away from any diseases. ‘Bird fruit’ which is better known as egg is one of such food which possesses health-benefit properties and one of the few things by nature that cannot be adulterated. It is very nutritious and a quality source of fat and protein. More importantly, an egg promotes heart health, that can easily be added in the diet. An egg consists of two parts, viz., yolk and albumen. The fat percentage, cholesterol content and calories are higher in yolk whereas protein content is higher in egg white. The figure below is depicting the differences in different contents in yolk and albumen.
Generally, egg is considered as a complete nutrition containing proteins, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fats. A 50 g of egg serves an energy of 70 calories, contains a total fat content of 4.5g including 1.5g of saturated fat with no trans-fat, 215mg of cholesterol, 65mg of sodium, 6g of protein, <1g of total carbohydrates, 6% of Vitamin A and iron, 2% of calcium and no Vitamin C. The below boiled egg is saying about its nutritional data.
In fact, the bird fruit is a library of various vitamins and minerals which are listed along with their quantity in the pictorial presentation below. Thus, the proverb of ‘An egg a day keeps a doctor away’ been verified effectively. Besides, the newly recognition of lutein and zeaxanthin place egg in ‘functional food’ category. Both of these helps in significant lowering of age-related macular degeneration which is a common cause of elderly blindness in human.
Consumption of egg provides many advantages to the human body. For growing children and teenagers, egg protein promotes growth as well as immunity, iron helps in haemoglobin synthesis whereas ample of vitamins and minerals mediate overall development. Egg helps in reduction of insulin discharges also, which in turn prolongs the persistence of plasma glucose. Moreover, cholesterol is very much important for human body as 30% of the body membranes are composed of it and helps in maintaining proper membrane permeability and fluidity. Myelin sheath that propagates nerve impulses are rich in cholesterol. It is also required for steroid hormones viz., cortisol and aldosterone and sex hormones viz., estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, vitamin D and bile acids synthesis. Besides, calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus help keeping bone strong. Zinc boosts immune system, vitamin E fights germs and protects cells, vitamin K ceases bleeding, choline strengthens brain and spinal cord and folate drops odds of birth defects. In addition, eggs are boon for eye health as vitamin A aids in corneal health, retinal health by zinc whereas lutein and zeaxanthin help in prevention of degeneration.
Hence, eggs can fulfil the complete nutrition making it a ‘wonderfood’. Therefore, it is rightly said, “Sunday Ho Ya Monday Roz Khao Ande”.
