USDA: Eggs 14% lower in cholesterol, 64% higher in vitamin D than previously thought

According to a USDA ARS report, eggs are 14% lower in cholesterol and 64% higher in vitamin D than previously thought.

According to new nutrition data from the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, eggs are 14% lower in cholesterol and 64% higher in vitamin D than previously thought.
The ARS recently reviewed the nutrient composition of standard large eggs, and results show the average amount of cholesterol in one large egg is 185 mg. The analysis also revealed that large eggs now contain 41 IU of vitamin D. "We collected a random sample of regular large shell eggs from 12 locations across the country to analyze the nutrient content of eggs," said Dr. Jacob Exler, nutritionist with the ARS Nutrient Data Laboratory. "This testing procedure was last completed with eggs in 2002, and while most nutrients remained similar to those values, cholesterol decreased by 14 percent and vitamin D increased by 64 percent from 2002 values."
This information is available on the nutrient data lab website. The new nutrient information will also be updated on nutrition labels to reflect these changes wherever eggs are sold, from egg cartons in supermarkets to school and restaurant menus.

Taiwan study implicates free-range eggs

In a comparative study conducted in Taiwan, scientists demonstrated significant levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-b-dioxins and dibenzofurans (dioxins) in eggs collected from free-range flocks. An average level of 1.79 ppb was record in the free-range eggs with levels ranging from 1.8 to 5.5 ppb. In contrast a level of 0.3 ppb was determined in eggs derived from caged flocks with minimal variation suggesting that this level may in fact be a threshold.
Free-range hens are susceptible to ingesting toxins in soil. Dioxins which are released into the air from incineration of municipal garbage are all the probability the source of contamination. In contrast, caged hens which are housed in environmentally controlled building are protected from this source of contamination. The published results* contradict the perception that free-range eggs are more wholesome than commercial eggs derived from confined flocks.
*Hsu, J-F. Chen, C. and Liao, P-C. Elevated PCDD/F levels and distinctive PCDD/F congener profiles in free range eggs (2010) J. Agric. Foods Chem. 58:7708-7714.

Harvard research shows daily egg consumption is harmless

A recent report in the peer-reviewed American Society for Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that consumption of eggs was not associated with any “clinically meaningful differences in fasting glucose, fasting insulin or measures of insulin resistance.”
The study conducted by researchers affiliated with the Harvard Medical School, University of Washington, Colorado School of Public Health and Northwestern University comprised a prospective study on nearly 4,000 men and women enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study, conducted from 1989 to 2007.
An important aspect of the study was the confirmation that egg intake ranging from one per month to almost daily had no effect on the incidence rate of type II diabetes in either gender.
This report adds to the growing literature confirming that eggs are a safe and nutritious component in daily diets.

Consuming eggs for breakfast reduces hunger

A research paper in Nutrition Research , a peer-reviewed journal, found that subjects who consumed eggs for breakfast ate fewer calories throughout the day than subjects who ate a breakfast of bagels and cream cheese, even though both breakfasts contained about the same amount of calories.
University of Connecticut researchers compared the physiological effect of the two dietary treatments on 21 men from the ages of 20 to the age of 70. Subjects who ate a breakfast of three scrambled eggs and a small piece of white toast ate 400 fewer calories in the 24-hour period following the breakfast, compared with subjects consuming the bagel breakfast. Subjects were allowed a free-choice lunch buffet three hours following breakfast, and those who ate eggs for breakfast consumed 112 calories fewer than the subjects who had the bagel breakfast.
The reduction in caloric intake is associated with the suppression of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger. The bagel breakfast was associated with increased insulin secretion and higher plasma glucose. This research supports previous studies sponsored by the American Egg Board
that demonstrated that consumption of eggs at breakfast was associated with satiety.

Water’s effect on egg performance studied

Don Bell, poultry specialist emeritus of the University of California-Riverside, has recently published his analysis of water consumption on performance and profit in the egg industry.
The effort compared 11 participating companies with 160 flocks comprising 17.5 million laying hens hatched between 2002 and 2005. Data relating to water intake were tabulated to determine how water consumption impacted hen day production, egg mass, egg weight, mortality and feed consumption.
Water consumption was weakly correlated with egg mass to egg weight and to feed consumption. There was no apparent correlation between water consumption and mortality or hen-day production.