If you eat egg white omelets or leave the yolks of your eggs on your plate to keep your cholesterol intake down, it is time to learn the truth about eggs and heart health. Eggs and dietary cholesterol have been vilified for decades. Health organizations, including the American Heart Association, now agree that although eggs are rich in dietary cholesterol, they can fit in a healthy and balanced diet and are not harmful for your heart health.
Dietary Cholesterol in Eggs
Many people are afraid of eating eggs, especially egg yolks, because of their high cholesterol content. An egg provides between 141 and 234 mg of dietary cholesterol depending on its size, all of which is found in the yolk. Egg whites are naturally cholesterol-free. Dietary cholesterol is only present in animal foods, such as in meat, dairy products and cheese.
Dietary Cholesterol and Blood Cholesterol Levels
Many confuse dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol levels or believe that dietary cholesterol contributes to elevating blood cholesterol levels. However, consuming large amounts of dietary cholesterol, the equivalent of three to four eggs a day, does not influence blood cholesterol levels in 70 percent of the population, according to a review published in January 2006 of "Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care." (See Reference 2) The small portion of the population in which eggs and dietary cholesterol affect their blood cholesterol levels can see a simultaneous increase in both their "bad" LDL and "good" HDL cholesterol levels. Moreover, the authors of this review point out that eating eggs is associated with the formation of large, buoyant LDL particles, which are less atherogenic and less dangerous for your heart health compared to small, dense LDL particles.
Eggs and Heart Health
Many studies showing a relationship between eggs consumption and the risk of suffering heart disease did not take into consideration the influence of significant confounding risk factors, such as age, smoking, blood pressure and other dietary factors. A review of epidemiologic studies published in 2000 in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" show that there was no significant link between eating an egg or more a day and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Health Benefits of Eggs
Eggs should be part of your diet because not only are they not harmful for your heart health, but they can also help you meet your nutritional requirements. For example, eggs are a good source of many important nutrients, such as vitamin A, zinc and the essential fatty acids DHA and AA, all of which are mainly present in the yolk. Moreover, eggs provide you with the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, two eye-protective antioxidants. These carotenoids are only found in the yolk and are associated with a lower risk of suffering age-related macular degeneration.
References
- Cholesterol and Health: The Incredible, Edible Egg Yolk
- "Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care"; Dietary Cholesterol Provided by Eggs and Plasma Lipoproteins in Healthy Populations; Fernandez M.L.; January 2009
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Egg Consumption and Coronary Heart Disease: An Epidemiologic Overview; Stephen B. Kritchevsky and David Kritchevsky; 2000
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; A Review of Scientific Research and Recommendations Regarding Eggs; Stephen B. Kritchevsky; 2004
