Egg intake not harmful – Akosa

The myth that consuming eggs well into one’s adult years poses a health risk has been busted by Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, a doctor and former Director General of the Ghana Health Service.

Addressing the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF) in Accra on World Egg Day on Friday October 14, Prof Akosa observed that partly due to the old wives’ tale that regular eating of eggs could lead to cardiovascular diseases, egg consumption figures in Ghana were low.

According to him, the average per capita egg consumption per year in Ghana is 20, compared to 300 eggs (10 crates) per person per annum in the US and China, while egg intake per citizen for the same period in the UK is 200, yet life expectancy in such countries far outstrip that for Ghanaians – an implication that eating eggs never harm the body.

Further, he said an egg, unlike other foods, contains all the essential nutrients required by the body, in addition to vitamins and anti-oxidants, which makes it “a total balanced diet”.

“So, I am telling you that if you eat egg, no matter your age, even if you are 80, if you are 90, and if you eat egg and somebody says egg is not good for you at that age, you can tell the person that, ‘Professor Akosah says egg is good for me’.