Eggs - Safe or Scary?

Your Basic Egg
Eggs are one of those very controversial foods--some experts say they raise cholesterol levels and therefore the risk of heart disease, while others counter that the cholesterol in the yolk does not necessarily raise your cholesterol levels and that the vitamins B12 and D, riboflavin, and folate in eggs can lower your risk for heart disease. As for salmonella, tighter government regulations are helping to reduce contamination of eggs, but if you're worried, cooking your eggs thoroughly will kill off any harmful microbes.
Verdict: Recent research has shown that up to one egg a day does not increase heart disease risk in healthy individuals--so scramble away. For people who have heart disease or diabetes, three egg yolks per week should be your limit.

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Eggs With Extra Omega-3s
Eggs that contain extra omega-3s--fats which have been shown to help prevent heart disease, stroke, and other chronic conditions--are laid by chickens that have been fed a diet rich in fish oil and/or flaxseeds, two foods high in the essential fatty acids. Of course, you can take fish oil and eat flaxseeds yourself and cut out the chicken middleman.
Verdict: If you don't mind paying a lot more for your eggs, there's certainly no harm in eating these.

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Organic/Free-Range Eggs
Organic eggs come from hens that eat organic feed, are allowed access to the outdoors, and are inspected to ensure that these rules are followed. Truly free-range, pasture-raised hens are allowed to run around on a field and eat grass, clover, and bugs.
Verdict: Best choice. A Penn State study has shown that pasture-raised hens lay eggs with much higher levels of omega-3s and vitamins A and E. In addition, organic eggs are less likely to contain residues of antibiotics and other foreign compounds.

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Egg Beaters/Egg Whites
With all the worry about the cholesterol content of eggs over the years, a slew of egg-white-only products was inevitable. These products tend to contain the whites, some coloring and vegetable gums, and a long list of supplementary vitamins and minerals, added in to replace the nutrients that got lost with the removal of the yolks.
Verdict: These products are fine if you're super worried about cholesterol and don't mind the additives. But for most people, nothing beats a real, naturally nutritious egg.

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