Eggs are the original superfood. They are low cost, nutrient dense, and incredible versatile being used in baking, breakfast items, and everything in between. They are also a source of cholesterol putting them on the “do-not-eat” list for all people with, or concerned about heart conditions. But are they really as bad as we may think? Alternatively, are they really all their cracked up to be? It is time to break down the hard-boiled facts about eggs and unscramble all of the information out there so you can start your day – sunny side up.
Egg – Our Friend
Eggs are an incredible food item. They are available globally and have no use restrictions by on religious grounds. They are a low cost food item, making them available to most populations at various socio-economic levels. Lastly, come packed with a plethora of essential nutrients including protein, monounsaturated fats, selenium, and magnesium.
In fact, despite the varying concentrations of these nutrients between different hens (environmental and nutritional factors change the eggs the hens lay), many of the nutrients found in eggs are the same nutrients that most individuals consuming a standard western diet are deficient in!
The complexity of the nutrient profile within eggs is impressive. Not only do eggs provide a healthy dose of many nutrients we need for energy, hormone production, and brain development, they have also been found to have antioxidant and antimicrobial effects!
Remember our blog about getting enough sunshine to produce vitamin D, but not so much that you burn? Well eggs could help you enjoy the sun longer without getting a sunburn. A compound known as phosvitin, which is found in the yolk of eggs, acts a melanogenesis inhibitor. Simply put: a compound found in egg yolks inhibits our melanin cells from overproducing pigmentation.
With so many health benefits, why do eggs have such a bad reputation?
Eggs – Our foe
Although eggs have an impressive amount of good nutritional qualities, there are a few red flags. Cholesterol is one of the nutrients found in eggs (about 200-300mg/100g of eggs). Research is unable to agree whether or not the consumption of cholesterol affects the serum cholesterol concentrations in the human body. In fact there have been a number of studies done on this very issue.
One study in 2008 with over 21,000 US male participants found that consuming more than 1 egg per day led to increased risk of heart failure. Another study done 2 years earlier in 2006 looked at over 90,000 men and women between the ages of 40 and 50 living in Japan and found that consuming eggs daily was not correlated with an increase in cardiovascular heart disease or serum cholesterol concentrations.
The research continues to battle over whether or not eggs are good or bad for you, making it very difficult for consumers to decide whether or not they should include eggs in their diet. What research has been able to determine, which may help you decide whether eggs are worth it for you, is that the effect of dietary cholesterol on your body’s cholesterol levels is dependent on (but not limited to) a few factors:
- Ethnicity
- Genetic makeup
- Hormonal factors
- Body mass index
Om-lette you in on a secret
Eggs are neither friend nor foe in a perfectly, distinguishable way. There are pros and cons to any food item. Eggs are our friend because they are cost effective, nutritionally dense, and can offer us antioxidant and antimicrobial effects.
Yet eggs are also our foe because they continue to stump the researchers trying to determine if cholesterol or lecithin found in eggs are increasing our risk for cardiovascular disease.
As we always like to remind you in all of our nutrition-based blogs – moderation is key. If you choose to enjoy the benefits of eggs, be mindful and don’t overdo it. If you decide to limit the amount of eggs you consume – don’t limit yourself too much and miss out on some of the amazing benefits of eggs.
FFF believes eggs are friends not a foe.
