Are Eggs Bad For Your Health?
by Alan Muir
How do you like your eggs? It’s not just about over easy or scrambled, but some people prefer their eggs raw for added protein in a smoothie or only choose to eat egg whites. With concerns about high cholesterol and questions surrounding eggs and heart health, some people prefer egg substitutes over the real thing.
In reality, eggs are a valuable source of essential nutrients, including choline, lutein, and zeaxanthin. They are also a good source of healthy unsaturated fats and contain six grams of protein (13% of the daily value).
True or False: Eggs are high in cholesterol.
True. Eggs are high in cholesterol (on average 212 mg), which leads people to believe eggs can raise cholesterol levels. In reality, only a small amount of that cholesterol goes to the bloodstream and arteries. In contrast, saturated and trans fats have a larger impact on blood cholesterol levels.
True or False: Eggs are unhealthy for your heart.
False. While some believe eggs can lead to heart disease, because of their high cholesterol content, this has not been proven. In fact, it is recommended that a moderate intake of eggs can be included in a healthy diet. If you are still concerned about high cholesterol, choosing to eat egg whites reduces the cholesterol intake. Just keep in mind that not eating the egg yolk can leave you void of healthy nutrients.
True or False: Eggs are healthier when eaten raw.
True and False. Hmm…confused? Most people are, as there are several opinions on health benefits related to eating raw eggs. Raw eggs provide a high amount of biotin, which is found in the yolk. Yet, raw eggs also contain a glycoprotein known as avidin, which makes it harder to digest and interferes with biotin absorption. For individuals susceptible to egg allergies, it is recommended to fully cook eggs in order to reduce the development of allergies.
Egg Yolk Health Benefits – Choline
Egg yolks are considered the richest source of choline, which is an important nutrient for several functions in the body. Choline must be obtained through diet and National statistics find 90% of individuals are choline deficient. This nutrient is imperative to avoid a folic acid deficiency. As a main component for cellular integrity, choline is important to maintaining molecules that are imperative to cognitive health. It is also an important element to acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter in the body that carries messages between nerves and muscles. Daily choline intake among men is 550 mg/day and 425 mg/day for women. Two large eggs provide 252 mg/day of choline and 630 mg/day of phosphatidylcholine.
References
Clark A, Islam S, King Y, Deighton J, et al. A longitudinal study of resolution of allergy to well-cooked and uncooked egg. Clin Exp Allergy. 2011 May;41(5):706-712.
Fernandez ML. Effects of eggs on plasma lipoproteins in healthy populations. Food Funct. 2010 Nov;1(2):156-160.
Zeisel SH. Nutritional genomics: defining the dietary requirement and effects of choline. J Nutr. 2011 Mar;141(3):531-534.
