Coronary heart disease begins when excess cholesterol and fats in your blood accumulate on the inside walls of the arteries that bring oxygenated blood from your lungs to your heart. These accumulations harden into plaques that narrow the opening of the arteries and make them more rigid. Foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat increase your risk of heart disease.
Recommendations
To keep blood cholesterol levels within the healthy range, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, or NHLBI, recommends a Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, or TLC, diet with daily limits for cholesterol, total fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, protein, fiber and total calories. You should limit your dietary cholesterol to less than 200 mg a day, keep your saturated fat intake below 7 percent of your daily calories and restrict your total fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of your calorie intake.
Identification
One large fresh egg contains a whopping 186 mg of cholesterol, more than 1.5 g of saturated fat and almost a gram of polyunsaturated fat. One large fresh egg white, on the other hand, has no cholesterol or fat of any kind. However, eggs also have some nutrients that may reduce your risk of heart disease, including protein, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin D and protein, notes the Harvard School of Public Health.
Expert Insight
Healthy individuals can eat eggs in moderation, meaning up to one egg a day, without increasing their risk of heart disease, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Exceeding this guideline increases your risk of developing heart failure in later years. If you have diabetes, elevated total blood cholesterol or high levels of the bad cholesterol known as LDL, reduce your intake of eggs, especially egg yolks. People with diabetes and heart disease should eat no more than three egg yolks a week.
Prevention/Solution
You can make egg dishes more heart-healthy by eliminating the cholesterol-rich egg yolk. If you're scrambling two eggs, try removing one of the egg yolks and sample the taste. Experiment with your favorite recipes by reducing the amount of egg yolk. You can also purchase egg substitutes that are completely cholesterol-free and fat-free. When you're cooking eggs, pay attention to the ingredients and condiments you're adding. Use heart-healthy canola spray instead of cholesterol-rich butter and stick with healthy toppings like salsa or thinly sliced avocados.
Warnings
Many restaurants promote breakfast combinations that include two or three eggs fried in butter, large servings of fried potatoes, various meats, biscuits with gravy, pancakes or waffles. Ask your server to substitute fresh fruit for fatty foods and stay away from fast food breakfast sandwiches that pile bacon, sausage and cheese on top of your eggs.
References
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Coronary Heart Disease Explained
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) Executive Summary
- USDA: National Nutrient Database: Eggs
- Harvard School of Public Health: Eggs and Heart Disease
