Have an Egg a Day

Chances are, you've cracked down on your egg intake in the name of better health. But eggs are good for your bones and may be better for your heart than you might think.

Eggs have taken a beating as promoters of clogged arteries and heart disease. It's the cholesterol thing. Granted, they do pack a wallop: about 213 milligrams per medium egg. "But let's set the record straight," says Kathleen M. Zelman, R.D. "They contain little saturated
fat, the main villain in boosting blood cholesterol concentrations."

In fact, some studies have exonerated eggs from their association with cardiovascular disease. That's good news for your bones. Eggs are rich in bone-building nutrients.

A medium egg supplies a third of your Daily Value for vitamin K, a little-recognized vitamin that's vital to bone density. Eggs also deliver vitamin D, a claim very few foods can make. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption and helps deliver the mineral to bone.

If your blood cholesterol is within normal range, one egg a day might be just what the doctor ordered for your bones, c Just skip the sausage, bacon, cheese, and home fries that drive up saturated fat. And you can't get away with ordering a "white" omelette's, because all the bone-boosting vitamins are in the yolk.

—Kathleen M. Zelman, R.D., is a nutrition consultant in Atlanta and coauthor of Healthy Eating for Babies and Toddlers.