The best "fried egg" photo I have ever seen. From In Praise of Sardines

For starters, there is the protein aspect. Most health nuts will tell you that egg whites are loaded with protein, and if you just skip the yolk, then there is nothing wrong with eggs at all. Well, that is partly true. While the whites do have a lot of protein, there is just as much protein in an yolk as well. You don't get the full "protein blast" from an egg unless you eat the yolk too. The reality of the situation though is that pretty much everything else in the yolk as well.

So on the good side of things, the yolk contains protein, as well as large doses of vitamins A and D (fat soluble vitamins - who'd've guessed?...), and even a dash of folic acid and vitamin B12 - which together make them useful for mothers-to-be.

On the flip side, the yolk is where you will find most the calories (about 60 of an egg's 75), all of the fat (about 5g per egg) and all of the cholesterol (213mg/egg - closing in on an entire day's recommended intake). Simply put, if you have a pair of eggs for breakfast, you are over your daily intake for cholesterol and you've had a good portion of your saturated fat intake as well. Further clouding the issue, the jury is still out on whether it is cholesterol intake or saturated fat intake that is more detrimental to your health...

So the question is, "Does the positive aspects of egg consumption outweigh the negative ones?" And simply put, the answer is, "We don't know."

The fact that eggs have found themselves swinging in and out of favor with those who determine from on-high what is good and bad for us is yet another perfect example of how little we know about nutrition science. The American Egg Board wants you to believe that they are OK, but they obviously have an agenda when they say this. (Just like how the big oil companies want you to believe global warming is "junk science" - consider your sources people!) On the other side of things, the American Heart Association says that one egg a day is OK (seeing as how one egg is just below your recommended daily cholesterol intake) but that also means that you need to then pretty much avoid all other cholesterol for the rest of the day if you have said egg.

So, will we be seeing "Newman's Own 50-Egg Caesar Dressing" any time soon?...

The only thing that either side can possibly agree on is that eggs contain elements that are good for you, as well as things that are not so good for you. So the only conclusion I can draw is that like any food with detrimental attributes, they should be consumed in moderation. (You hear me Cool Hand Luke?) But unlike most bad-for-you foods which are just "empty calories," I think we can all let our limits on how many eggs we consume go up a little with the knowledge that we are at least doing some good for ourselves when we take satisfy our needs for a nice filling breakfast.

But please, don't buy into the latest hype commercials that eggs are the "miracle food". It is possible to consume foods that have all of the nutrients found in eggs without the inherent drawbacks that come in the total package of eggs. The key as always is a balanced diet - one that can include eggs! - to make sure you don't do too much damage to yourself.

And let's all be clear on the title of "miracle food". That designation was awarded to eggs' best accompaniment - bacon - many years ago.