Eggs are a divisive ingredient, with some plans like the Atkins diet advocating for them as a daily meal ingredient while others denounce them as cholesterol filled and hard on the heart.
So who is correct in this debate? Harvard School of Public Health reports that there is no connection between eating eggs and heart disease. When eating moderately (the recommended limit is one per day) eggs are perfectly safe for healthy people to eat. Plus, there is a lot of nutrition in a boiled egg.
Egg Nutrition Info: Cholesterol
The most common complaint about the health of eggs is that they are chock full of cholesterol. This statement is factual, but misleading. While eggs yolks are certainly high in cholesterol, the Harvard School of Public Health says that the mix of fats that someone eats affects their blood cholesterol much more than the amount of cholesterol in their food. One whole egg a day is the generally accepted safe amount. However, this recommendation is fairly limited to healthy people. For people that already have heart disease or are struggling with diabetes, they should eat three or less egg yolks over the course of a week.
Other Beneficial Egg Nutrition Info
Besides being an affordable and easy to prepare source of protein, eggs boast a variety of important nutrients. They are packed with many of the essential vitamins and nutrients for healthy living, including riboflavin, folate, vitamins B12 and D, choline, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
The evidence shows that eggs are still worthy of inclusion in a healthy diet. If cholesterol is still a concern but you’d like to eat eggs, try eating boiled egg whites or egg white omelettes instead of preparing the whole egg.
Sources:
- “Egg Nutrition and Heart Disease: Eggs aren’t the dietary demons they’re cracked up to be”, Harvard Health Publications Harvard Medical School
- “The Nutrition Source Eggs and Heart Disease”, Harvard School of Public Health
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