Study on how eggs prevent cancer shows vast healing power of foods.

Study on how eggs prevent cancer shows vast healing power of foods. It is well known that eggs contain a powerful amount of protein and essential lipids, but new research has found that they also contain antioxidant properties that are known to prevent cardiovascular disease as well as cancer. Researchers from the University of Alberta determined that egg yolks in their raw state contain almost twice as many antioxidant properties as an apple and about the same as half a serving of cranberries. When fried or boiled, however, antioxidant properties were reduced by about half. The reduction in antioxidant properties was even more severe when heated in a microwave, which destroys many of the nutrients in any given food. Another important factor is that the egg yolk is consumed along with the egg white. Researchers at the U of A Department of Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science examined egg yolks produced by hens fed diets of either primarily wheat or corn. In their examination, they found that the yolks contained tryptophan and tyrosine, two amino acids with high antioxidant properties. Organically raised hens, which are fed high quality diets rich in vitamins and minerals, will also produce higher quality eggs, which will subsequently be loaded with more essential nutrients. "Ultimately, we're trying to map antioxidants in egg yolks so we have to look at all of the properties in the yolks that could contain antioxidants, as well as how the eggs are ingested," said Jianping Wu, a member of the research team.