Why are eggs now better for us?

British eggs are more nutritious now than they were 30 years ago, research shows. But why?

Whether fried in a traditional English breakfast, whipped up in an omelette or used as an ingredient in countless cake recipes, eggs are one of the most versatile of foods and form a staple part of many diets.

British eggs now contain 75% more vitamin D, 20% less fat and double the amount of the mineral selenium compared to those in the 1980s, when the last government analysis was carried out, a study led by the Institute of Food Research has found.

The amount of cholesterol in a whole egg has also decreased overall, although the level of cholesterol has increased in egg yolks.

“Overall I think it’s a positive sign that the composition is certainly nutritionally better,” says the Institute of Food Research’s Paul Finglas, who led the research.

“Anything that can contribute to increasing selenium intakes from food that we consume is a good thing.”

Deficiency in the mineral is associated with increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and infertility, but in the UK “we are sort of low on selenium in the diet”, he explains.

One key reason for our improved eggs is the changes made to hens’ feed since the 1980s, explains Amanda Cryer, director of the British Egg Information Service.

 

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