heat or energy, weight for weight, than any other food substance, and
since eggs contain neither starch nor sugar, it is evident that the fat
of this food is the main source of the energy-producing material. Fat in
eggs occurs in the form of an emulsion, or tiny particles, and, like the
fat of milk, is very readily digested. It is for this reason that both
of these foods are particularly well adapted to the diet of both
children and adults. The presence of quantities of protein and fat and
the absence of carbohydrate in eggs indicate that the proper thing to
combine with this food, in order to have a well-balanced meal when eggs
are eaten, is carbohydrate in some form.

9. MINERALS IN EGGS.--Eggs are especially valuable for the mineral salts
they contain, chief among which are lime, phosphorus, sulphur, iron,
potassium, and sodium. For this reason, the addition of eggs to any kind
of diet supplies a large amount of the minerals that are needed for
bone, blood, and tissue building. A favorable point concerning the
minerals found in eggs is that they are not affected to any extent by
cooking. Therefore, in the preparation of any dish, if eggs are added to
other foods, that dish will contain an additional amount of mineral
salts, plus the nutritive value of the eggs.

10. DIGESTIBILITY OF EGGS.--In connection with the discussion of the
food substances of which eggs are composed, it will be well to note how
these affect the digestibility of this food. But just what is meant by
this characteristic with reference to eggs must first be understood. In
some foods, digestibility may mean the length of time required for them
to digest; in others, the completeness of the digestion; and in still
others, the ease and comfort with which the process of digestion
proceeds. In the case of eggs, digestibility refers to the quantity of
this food that is absorbed, that is, actually dissolved and permitted to