Extraordinary Eggs
Selecting eggs of good quality
Eggs are a great source of high-quality protein and essential nutrients. A number of questions frequently come up when it comes to eggs. The first thing people usually ask is “How many can I eat?” Another common question: “How do I buy good quality eggs?” Let’s start with the health benefits of eating eggs and go from there.
Egg nutrition
Eggs are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat. That’s good since the saturated fat we eat contributes more to LDL (bad) cholesterol than dietary cholesterol.
Eggs are also excellent sources of protein and nutrients. Each large egg contains about six grams of protein. Other essential nutrients include vitamins A, B complex, D, E and K as well as the minerals selenium, iodine, zinc and iron. Eggs are one of the richest dietary sources of choline, a nutrient required for a healthy brain and nerves. A deficiency can hasten memory loss. It’s difficult to reach the adequate intake for choline without consuming eggs or taking a dietary supplement. As a result, many Americans—especially seniors—are deficient in choline. Eggs also provide lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that help maintain eye health and protect against eye diseases, especially of the retina, such as macular degeneration.
How many to eat
In general, healthy individuals can consume up to one egg a day as part of a heart-healthy diet. The American Heart Association recommends that adults without heart disease limit egg intake to one egg per day, or seven eggs a week. The Association also suggests up to two eggs per day for healthy older adults with normal cholesterol levels who consume a healthful diet since eggs are nutrient-dense and convenient to eat.1
Some caution is required for people with diabetes, abnormal blood cholesterol, high blood pressure or an increased risk of heart failure. According to the Cleveland Clinic, people in those groups should consume no more than four egg yolks a week. For these groups, the American Heart Association advises caution and suggests consulting with a healthcare provider about egg consumption. The overall diet of the individual and other sources of saturated fat may need to be taken under consideration.
Buying quality eggs
The quality of eggs largely depends on the lifestyle of the chicken. Hens forced to live in a small cage inside a crowded barn with a poor diet and no outdoor access produce low quality eggs. As a result of living in a toxic environment, the chickens have higher levels of stress hormones and pro-inflammatory chemicals. These stress hormones and pro-inflammatory chemicals get transferred into their eggs. (They also get transferred into whoever eats the eggs.) An unhealthy lifestyle can also cause the chickens to produce eggs that are less nutritious.
Fortunately, you can find better options than this when you’re trying to buy eggs. The Cornucopia Institute has published an online Egg Scorecard. It scores eggs on a large variety of factors. These include the outdoor access of the chickens, the spacing allotted for each bird, the type of hen houses, sources of feed, animal welfare, enhancements to the quality of life, commitment to the organic label and transparency.
The Egg Scorecard’s ratings are limited to those that are organic. The Institute notes, however, that even 1-star organic eggs are better than conventional eggs, which are usually raised in factory farms or under less-humane conditions. Therefore, you could surmise the rank of conventional eggs to be a 0 or lower on this scale.
What do you want to ideally aim for? Eggs ranked as 4 or 5 in the Scorecard have the highest overall quality. “When you can’t afford a 4 or a 5, a 3 is a solid choice,” says the Cornucopia Institute.2 And eggs rated 1 or 2 still provide better quality than that of conventional eggs.
See how different brands of eggs stack up using the Egg Scorecard here.
This newsletter is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or treatment; before adhering to any recommendations in this newsletter consult your healthcare provider.
Regularly eating eggs supports a lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related death. Monash University, 2/5/25. monash.edu/news/articles/regularly-eating-eggs-supports-a-lower-risk-of-cardiovascular-disease-related-death
Organic Egg Scorecard. Cornucopia Institute, 5/28/25. cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/