Eggs: Good or Bad?
Over the years, eggs have gotten a bad rap as cholesterol no-nos. But should you totally ditch them in your diet?
The Nutrition Facts:
One large egg contains 210 milligrams of cholesterol, which is about two-thirds of your daily need (300 milligrams per day is the recommended maximum). Most of us have two or three eggs for breakfast, which means we’re topping out on cholesterol in one meal. What you may not realize, however, is that saturated and trans fats influence your cholesterol levels the most, according to research.
Although eggs do contain cholesterol, they also have other benefits that make them a good-for-you food. They’re are full of vitamin A and D, which are mostly found in the yolk, and have some omega-3 fats, which are good for your heart. Nowadays, there are even eggs with added omega-3 fats available at your supermarket (a heads up: they can be quite pricey).
Another plus for eggs is the antioxidant lutein (pronounced LOO-teen), which helps promote healthy eyes and skin. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found the blood more successfully absorbs egg-sourced lutein than lutein from other foods (i.e. spinach and corn).
Better still, eggs are a “perfect protein” because they contain all the essential amino acids needed for growth and your body’s maintenance. There is as much protein in an egg yolk as there is in the egg white.
And yes, you might wonder: what’s the difference between brown and white eggs? Nothing nutritionally. The color all has to do with the hens earlobes — hens with white earlobes lay white eggs and hens with red earlobes lay brown eggs.
The Bottomline:
The American Heart Association says an egg a day is fine for a healthy diet, and you should try to replace other high cholesterol foods such as dairy, meats and poultry. If you follow that one-a-day rule, keep in mind that many baked goods contain eggs and are a source of cholesterol and fat as well.
Of course, a plain egg isn’t the only option; there are low cholesterol alternatives available. Egg substitutes work well in recipes, and 1/4 cup is equivalent to a single egg. Using a combination of whole eggs and egg whites when prepping a dish can also help lower the overall cholesterol tally. Always avoid frying eggs or cooking with tons of butter. Try scrambled eggs using a non-stick cooking or poaching them in water.
Thankyou for the helpful info on eggs. I eat eggs twice a week and use the substitute in recipes and my cholesterol is just fine.
thanks for the highlights of the egg by it’s self .
However i like a good 2 egg omlett cooked in 1tsp of butter and ham/mushroom filling .
does this cause unhealthy eggs ?
My grandson loves egg whites I was glad to read this. I fix them for him every morning.I was leary of the health efect
Hi Larry,
The American Heart Association’s guideline is about 1 per day due to the cholesterol and saturated fat. In your omelet you can cut some of that by using a non-stick spray and filling with veggies (like your mushrooms). You can also use a combination of whole eggs and egg whites.
I was surprised to learn there is the same amount of protein in the yolk and white of an egg. To eliminate the fat in an egg, I hard boil and then eat only the white.
Thank you for the egg analysis which encourages me not to leave eggs out of the of my teens and myself. Cooked with unsaturated fat or olive oil, a sprinkel of cheese — an easy meal to provide on a cold afternoon.
The American Heart Assoc is not right on this one folks. They are uniformed. First of all, please think about this: “What is the natural purpose of a chicken’s egg?” To hatch a chick, not to feed a person. We’ve all been duped, same as the with milk and dairy industry. The natural purpose of a mother cow’s milk is to feed its calf, not a person. We’ve been duped. If you research it, milk and ALL dairy products actually promote bone disease/other human diseases. If you really want to learn the truth about food, here it is:http://www.thetruthaboutyourfood.com/teleseminars.php, or drfuhrman.com, or drmcdougall.com, just to name a few. The webinars in the first website are long, and they have a few technical problems, but if you hang in there you will be enlightened. I am not a raw foodist however I am making the changeover to a much healthier diet. Eggs are not included. There is a big myth out there on how much protein we need. An important key to good health is consuming nutritious amino acids, not an overabundance of protein, which taxes our kidneys and other organs. Any ingested protein has to be broken down by the protein thats already in our bodies. Eggs have a large of amount of protein- intended to nourish a chick. Not to mention the misery of chickens raised in factory farms. Many caged birds have no room to even spread their wings. When more than one chicken is in the same small cage their beaks are painfully clipped to prevent injury. There is much more to learn folks.
Any ?s ForPlanetHealth@aol.com
I am more inclined to believe the comments posted by Healthy Eats than by Greg since the egg is an almost perfect food. I do not believe that the egg was meant only to produce chicks no do I believe the comments about milk. “God” forbid that I even bring up his Holy Name, but God put these two animals on earth to make may self sufficient. Also used in reproduction. The egg has natural lethicin which breaks down the cholesterol in the egg. Also I don’t think it was necessary to get into the “caged” birds thing. Yes, I agree it is not humain to treat chickens this way but unfortunately it is the way things are. I love eggs. I eat ten (10) a week, I am 71 years old and have a good cholesterol count and wonderful blood pressure. It’s all in the genes.
Thanks
Correction to my previous comments. I misspelled “Man”. I said may self sufficient instead of making man self sufficient.
The artical states there is no difference in nutrition b/w white eggs and brown, however it fails to mention that there is considerable difference in nutrition from a supermarket egg (from a caged in, grain-fed, sick, beakless chicken, or even a “cage free” chicken that is allowed a small opening to outside but never goes b/c it isn’t opened until after the chicken has become used to the cramped inside life) and from a pasture-raised chicken that actually roams free, and eats whatever nature intends it to eat! I agree that modern dairy is not meant for human consumption but real dairy from grass-fed cows (especially raw and unpasteurized) and real eggs are certainly nutritious for human consumption. As far as separating out the whites? An egg is one of nature’s most perfect foods, once you introduce only parts of it to the body that is when you lose the synergystic value of a whole food. The saturated fat and cholesterol in an egg from a pasture raised chicken is certainly not going to raise your cholestrol, and the egg whites in a container? who knows what that does in the body. Heart disease is way higher now than in the time of our grandparents – do you know any grandparents that separated out the whites?
Let’s not confuse inhumane farming practices (which I hate) with a balanced view of nutrition and living. The two are not connected. I eat less of certain items, so I can purchase from more humane sources (costing more). Healthy bones, joints, and muscles are also dependent on exercise. Moderation in all things is my motto.
Hooray for this article! I’ve always eaten an egg-a-day for the last half century or so, as my day doesn’t start right without one. My cholesterol levels are good, so all the bad rap about eggs don’t hold true for me. It is a perfect food, and as with all foods, moderation in key. When I was a kid, my dad concocted a dish to tantalize us finicky kids into eating. A huge bowl of freshly cooked hot rice, about 3-6 raw eggs cracked into it, soy sauce sprinkled all over, and mixed very well. The best comfort food ever that even my kids to this day love! For those skittish about raw eggs, microwave this dish for a few seconds although the hot rice already cooks the egg. Yum.
Eggs have their own particular flavor, so I stick to free-range natural eggs if possible, as they taste much better. Soft boiled is my fave, with the whites cooked. But now, I “fry” them oil-less in a non-stick pan.
Enjoy this perfect, inexpensive food!
Albumen or egg whites exists in the human body. It is very natural, and a perfect protein. To whom that posted eggs are meant to hatch a chick. I say, bean sprouts were not meant to nourish humans; produce more bean sprouts. You can say this for anything!
Excellent article. I always hear that a minimal of 2 eggs per week is ideal, which is ridiculous considering I'll eat a 3-egg omelet for breakfast three times per week!! But maybe that's pushing it?
I eat 3 per day at least, and have excellent blood cholesterol levels. If you are at all active, eat as many eggs as you want. I have yet to see proof of anyone who had great blood cholesterol levels ruined because they started eating eggs. I'll slow down on mine once I see something like this, but until then, EGGGGGS EGGGGGGGS EGGGGGGGGGS!
I have to agree with Gary… I myself eat 3 eggs per day for breakfast, on average. Usually they are scrambled, and I often eat egg white omelets with an egg to yolk ratio of 2:1. (Ex. 4 whole eggs with 2 yolks removed.) Occasionally I'll have a couple of fried or hard boiled eggs just to change things up. I usually have them with a bowl of granola or when it is colder, oatmeal, with fruit. I also have a couple of slices of whole grain toast with at least 2G of fiber per serving. The oats and the fiber help to "neutralize" the cholesterol intake, I believe. I have been eating this way for 10+ years now. Back in my early to mid 20's, I got away from eating breakfast and suffered for it. I was sluggish and would eat a huge lunch to compensate and then struggle to stay awake at work in the afternoon. I am now 36 years old and reasonably active, and I wouldn't think of missing my eggs for breakfast! I do not have any issues with my cholesterol. Like many other comments posted, I believe that if you have some balance in your life thru diet and exercise, and don't cram processed foods and "fast" food into your body on a daily basis, just about anything in moderation (reasonably speaking) is OK.
Life is short – EAT WELL!
i use the brown eggs by egglands best the cage free eggs. i only eat one egg once a day my chos. is fine. but thsanks for the info on the eggs….also for rec. if it calls for eggs i either use egg whites or brown cage free eggs. i never use the other eggs anymore.
We've got five chickens (I call them "bird-brains") living in our backyard that are also our moving lawn ornaments. They give us five eggs per day or almost three dozen per week! I've got perfect cholesterol levels (145) but I'm a little concerned where the number will go if we ate all of those eggs. We're trying to keep a happy balance between saving money (the eggs like ours would be roughly $4.75 a dozen), our health, and not helping to sustain a very inhumane food industry.
Bottom line… we love the eggs we get and love the little "bird-brains" that help eat up our compost waste and keep the yard bug-free.
I would LOVE to find somebody like you in my area . . . boy, would I be happy to buys some of those yard eggs from you. We have looked and looked for a source for good, fresh eggs. No luck.
My mother had gone through life eating two eggs a day ,at breakfast. She mentioned this to me a number of times. She passed away at the age of 94 from old age. i remember this story from the first time she told me when i was five years old. Three cheers for eggs.
Do chicken have ears??? Come on…white lobes=white eggs??? I have never heard of such a thing?!?!?
Yes…chickens DO have ears..and white lobes DO equal white eggs…red lobes are brown eggs…I have one chicken who I honestly don't know what color her ears are (she is a very dark chicken and I just haven't noticed) and she lays green eggs. My chicks are happy, healthy and roam free during the day. In my city you can have hens even in the city limits, so check your local laws and see if you can have a couple if you are wanting fresh 'farm' eggs. I'm telling you, once you have eaten a free range happy chicken egg..the store bought eggs just won't do. Not to mention what lovable little creatures they are. I love my chicks.
Yes they do, I have some Americanas and they have green earlobes and they lay light blue-green eggs! They are lovely!
I had a friend who asked if I sold my eggs and I told her I had not done so yet. She wanted to know how much I would ask for them and I told her a lady at our office sold her farm fresh eggs for $3.00 per dozen. She said, "oh, that's too high!" I explained to her that chicken feed was not cheep!! Even though the chickens get out and scratch and eat in the yard they still like their chicken feed!!
Hello….Eat what you like….we all die anyway!!!