Eggs have been used as a breakfast item for quite a long and people have been known to eat since time immemorial. However, many experts warn against them, particularly the yolk part. You must not eat them on a regular basis, say experts. This is because regular consumption of eggs can raise cholesterol levels and might lead to heart disease.
Nevertheless, in the recent times, many nutritionists have talked about the important minerals, proteins and vitamins that they have. And, if a new study is to be believed, eggs aren’t so much dangerous to the health of the heart as they are claimed to be.
Now, the question that arises – is it okay to eat them and is it healthy to eat it daily? Peter Schulman, a cardiologist at the University of Connecticut, suggests that eggs have more dietary cholesterol as compared to other foods. One large egg has about 185 mg of cholesterol. Sometime back, they were considered almost equally bad as smoking.
Dr. Schulman adds that it is the saturated fats in the diet that raise the cholesterol levels and not the cholesterol itself. Earlier, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommended not to have more than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol in a day, but this bar was later removed in 2016.
Schulman explains that when cholesterol is eaten, it gets broken down in the gut. It does not get absorbed as a whole complete molecule of cholesterol. Saturated fats, on the other hand, get broken down to chains of fatty acids that get absorbed in the body and this is what raises the cholesterol levels considerably.
Incidentally, research indicate that eating foods high in dietary cholesterol, such as eggs can raise the levels of cholesterol to some extent. But, it is essential to consider the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol). Eggs raise the levels of good cholesterol to a higher extent than that of LDL.
Recent Studies Indicate No Association Between Eggs and Heart Disease:
People, who eat eggs are not any worse off than those, who do not, according to some recent studies. Researchers have failed to find a relation between one egg consumption each day and heart disease; even in people, who are genetically more prone to develop heart diseases.
A new study suggests that eating eggs could in fact have a protective effect. People, who ate at least one egg each day had 11% lower likelihood of developing any heart-related condition and 18% less chances of dying because of it over a period of nine years as compared to those, who did not eat eggs. Also, there was 28% lesser chance of developing hemorrhagic stroke.
This study conducted on Chinese people did show a relation between eggs and health of the heart, but failed to establish any cause-and-effect relationship. Also, the groups ate not more than one egg a day on an average. So, don’t think that you can have three egg omelet in your dinner.
This research however, does not give a full account for how those, who eat eggs are different from those who do not eat them. Although the study has its own limitations, the findings supports the fact that eggs are not that bad for you. So, this is good news!
Eggs are Laden with Nutrients and Protein
There are too many and enough reasons to eat eggs. They are rich sources of vitamin E, selenium, folate and lutein that are important for maintaining health of the brain, fighting against inflammation and improving vision. They also contain protein, which keeps you feel full for a longer duration.
When you are losing weight, it is important to have a good breakfast. If you eat breakfast, which only has carbs, but no protein, it will leave you feeling hungry rest of the time. Dr. Schulman recommends having a breakfast high in fiber and carbohydrate content, such as oatmeal with one or two eggs. Since eggs contain calories, so be mindful of that too.
Eggs that are hard boiled are a good choice because nothing really has been added to them. Dr. Schulman says you must cook eggs in a pan with some amount of olive oil. Don’t use butter.
Also, be careful of the eggs prepared at restaurants since you don’t know how they are prepared and they may be using poor cooking techniques. But, instead of going for a low-fat muffin or giant bagel, choose eggs, says Dr. Schulman.
He finally opines that the best way of egg preparation is without-the-white toast. Also, you can have bacon, but only occasionally as it is high on calories and saturated fats.
