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If you love eggs, but have been avoiding them for the fear of saturated fat, here is good news. According to researchers, eggs are much healthier than they used to be, three decades ago. Eggs are more nutritious and beneficial with low levels of fat, cholesterol and calories. Also, eggs these days are much richer in vitamin D compared, claim researchers.

The study funded by the Department of Health claims that a medium-sized egg now has around 25 per cent less saturated fat than what it used to have in the 1980s.A medium sized egg now has 1.3 grams of Saturated fat (known to cause heart disease), while it used to be 1.7 grams previously. A person is advised to eat a maximum of 20 grams of saturated fat a day.

The cholesterol content in egg, which was previously thought to be 202 grams, is now 177 micrograms, which is a 10 percent reduction in the cholesterol content (associated with being the cause of clogging arteries).

According to the researchers, eggs are also found to have lower calorie content now. It has dropped to 66 from 78, reports Mail Online.

Furthermore, scientists said that eggs contain nearly twice the amount of vitamin D than was noted in the 1980s. Vitamin D is significant for the protection of bones and prevention of rickets in children.

A medium egg contains 1.6 micrograms of vitamin D which makes up for two-thirds of a recommended daily amount.

"This is a very welcome finding at a time when there is rapidly accumulating evidence that a lack of vitamin D could be a risk factor for a number of chronic diseases," Cath MacDonald, a nutritionist, was quoted as saying by Mail Online.

The changes in the eggs are because there has been a change in the food fed to hens since 1980s, explained scientists from the Institute of Food Research. The food content for hens largely comprise wheat, corn, vegetable oil and high-protein formulated feed these days, rather than meat and bone-meal, says the report.

Apart from the fact the diet makes the eggs contain less cholesterol and saturated fat, it also helps them absorb Vitamin D better.

Scientists say due to better technology, it is also possible now to analyze the nutritional content of eggs more accurately than ever.