Chicken Eggs and Human Health

Eggs, a hallmark of avian and reptilian species, are most commonly consumed by humans from chicken (Gallus gallus or Gallus domesticus). The chicken is believed to have evolved from the jungle fowl. ¹ Consumption of eggs dates back to ancient times, when China was a major early adopter while other cultures still thought it was wasteful to eat the eggs rather than allow them to hatch. ² As far back as 246 bce, the Chinese had developed egg incubators with a capacity for a staggering 56,000 eggs each. ³ By the nineteenth century, boiled eggs became a breakfast staple for many (Figures 16.1 and 16.2). ² Figure 16.1 The chickens we use today most likely evolved from the jungle fowl. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-u.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780429195594/08eb594f-785f-432d-9eda-d80a71bad36b/content/fig16_1.jpg"/> Figure 16.2 The chicken eggshell comes in a wide breadth of colors, including white, brown, or even blue-green. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-u.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780429195594/08eb594f-785f-432d-9eda-d80a71bad36b/content/fig16_2.jpg"/>