Today, 13 per cent of Canadians are 65 years of age and older. Diet is important at every age, but there are specific issues that seniors should consider. Today’s seniors lead active lives and need the right nutrients to fuel their activities, but there is a lot of confusion about which foods are fine and which should be avoided.
The humble egg may very well be nature’s original functional food – here are a few misconceptions and the facts you should know.

Myth: Eggs are high in fat.

Fact: Eggs do contain fat, but the amount is small, only 5 grams – about the same as a small pat of butter. One large Grade A egg has only 70 calories, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, and no trans fats.

Myth: Egg whites are the best source of protein in the egg.
Fact: The egg white only has about half of the egg’s protein and half of the riboflavin in an egg. The yolk holds most of the vitamins and nutrients and the rest of the protein. Eggs are considered to have complete protein which means they contain all nine essential amino acids.
They also have 14 essential nutrients including Vitamin A, B12, riboflavin, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, folate and iron. Also important for seniors: eggs are a good source of choline, linked with preserving memory, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help protect against age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness.

Myth: Eating eggs will increase the risk of heart disease.
Fact: A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health found no link between eating eggs and developing cardiovascular disease in healthy individuals. In fact, limiting dietary cholesterol could lead to an imbalanced intake of nutrients, which increases the risk for other health problems. If you’re concerned about cholesterol, your focus shouldn’t be a few individual foods, but the amount and types of fats you’re consuming. In the “big picture” this will have a greater impact on your blood cholesterol levels.

Myth: Seniors should decrease consumption of eggs as they age.
Fact: Eggs can be a very important food for aging Canadians. Protein is critical for maintaining muscle mass in later years to offset the risk of falls and fractures – and the associated expensive treatments and hospital care.
Between the ages of 60 and 80, seniors can lose up to 40 per cent of their total lean muscle mass. Eggs can play an important role in offsetting this, because animal-based protein, like the protein in eggs, is better used by the body than vegetable-based protein. Eggs also require little effort to prepare and are easy to chew.

Myth: Eggs take too long to cook.
Fact: Recent research indicates it takes the average Canadian approximately 5 minutes to cook eggs, though you can cook an egg in the microwave in less than one minute. Microwave egg cookers are available at www.eggs.ca, or you can simply crack the egg in a microwaveable bowl, pierce the yolk and white several times, cover the dish with a microwave-safe plastic-wrap and cook on high for 45 seconds.
Let stand for 30 seconds and enjoy with a slice of whole grain toast and a glass of orange juice. - News Canada