Are eggs good to eat if you are trying to build muscle... it seems like they would be due to the protein, but should I eat them a specific way? Are raw eggs in a shake or something better for you... a la "Rocky" style???

Personally I always cook my eggs for better absorption by the human body and to avoid the risk of getting sick through salmonella.

As for if eggs are good for you... of course they are... outside of water, protein is the next most abundant thing found in our bodies. Eggs contain about 6 grams of high quality protein, so high that it is used as the standard by which other foods are measured. Eggs are also a rich source of vitamins, including A, E and K and a range of B vitamins such as B12 (energy), riboflavin and folic acid. Eggs also contain all eight essential amino acids needed for optimal muscle recovery and building valuable minerals like calcium, zinc and iron.

It really is the incredible edible egg!!! Eggs are easily digested and absorbed and are extremely useful in ensuring a balanced diet.

I wouldn't suggest going crazy and eating an all egg diet... eggs contain fat

Now before you get scared and say what about the fat that eggs contain, let me break it down for you. The white part of the egg contains no fat what so ever, on the other hand, the yolk of an egg (yellow) contains about 5 grams of fat BUT only a small proportion of this is saturated fat (Bad Fat) - about 1.6 grams. Also, eggs contain cholesterol but it is generally accepted that dietary cholesterol does not raise blood cholesterol levels.

Although I've never ate a raw egg myself, and it doesn't sound very appealing to me at all, I have read that raw eggs are more healthy for you rather than when they are cooked.

Heating and cooking the egg actually changes its chemical shape. The heating also destroys many of the nutrients and proteins found inside the egg.

There is a health risk of eating raw eggs, which is salmonella. However, the risk of illness is greatest in infants, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. A person infected with the Salmonella enteritidis bacterium usually has fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea beginning 12 to 72 hours and lasts about 4-7 days. Eggs can become contaminated due to intact and disinfected grade A eggs. Salmonella enteritidis silently infects the ovaries of healthy appearing hens and contaminates the eggs before the shells are formed.

However, keep in mind that salmonella is generally a benign self-limiting illness in healthy people. The key principle to keep in mind here is that if you are healthy a salmonella infection is not a big deal.

I have heard that free range eggs have less fat and cholesterol. While I wouldn't consider Mother Earth news a highly reputable source for scientific news, they do have a page summarizing some egg info: www.motherearthnews.com/eggs.aspx

Maybe there are other articles out there backing this up?

-Angee