At the core of some of the most high-protein foods we consume, it’s no doubt that eggs are at the apex. Over the years though, there have been mixed messages regarding the consumption of eggs on a day to day basis.
A section of health analysts advocates the consumption of eggs while the other half cite issues such as increased cholesterol levels that come with the consumption of eggs on a regular basis. Of which the by-product is heart-disease.
Which begs the question, is it okay to eat eggs on a daily basis?
Eating an egg a day has brought a lot of speculation in the nutrition world regarding its health benefits
Eggs Have Cholesterol, but It’s the Good Kind
Yes, no doubt eggs have a high cholesterol content as compared to many foods out there. In fact, a super egg has about 185mg! We’re talking eggs that are the size of an average fist.
In fact, a few decades back, eggs were even branded as ‘bad for smoking.’
In fact, Dr. Schulman divulges deeper into the whole issue regarding cholesterol. According to her analysis, what actually increases our cholesterol levels is saturated fat that is contained in the food that we eat, not so much the cholesterol that is in the foods.
Initially, U.S. dietary guidelines advocate that one ought to consume fewer than 300 mg of cholesterol on a daily basis. However, this recommendation was done away within 2016.
Eggs are a great source of protein and a good source of cholesterol
The Process of Cholesterol
Dr. Schulman continues, saying that when we consume cholesterol, it is directed to the gut where it is broken down.
Meanwhile, any saturated fats in our diet are then broken down into fatty acids of short stature, and then automatically linked within the body.
In fact, it is this process that’s been shown to cause a massive increase in our cholesterol levels exponentially! Indeed, research shows that eating diet foods that have a high cholesterol concentration such as eggs causes a small increase in our cholesterol levels.
Nevertheless, we need to consider an important factor that is LDL/HDL. This simply means the ration of bad cholesterol (LDL) to good cholesterol (HDL).
Indeed, eggs appear to raise our HDL levels to a much greater extent as compared to our LDL levels. This ultimately means that egg consumption is more favorable for healthier cholesterol.
Eggs Have Been Shown to Have No Attachment to Heart Disease
So we have covered the cholesterol effect that eggs have on the body and come to the conclusion that they aren’t as harmful as was once conceived.
Additionally, studies have also shown that individuals that consumed eggs on a regular basis did not experience a higher risk of heart disease as compared to those who did not. In fact, research has failed to make any connection between a one-day an egg consumption and heart disease.
This was also the case for individuals whose genetics were shown were genetically predisposed to heart disease! Moreover, a new study published by Heart noted that the consumption of eggs may even be protecting them!
Indeed, individuals who ate one egg per day had an 11% lower chance of developing heart disease, as well as an 18% reduced risk of death from heart failure. The study took place over a course of 9 years, which further demonstrated that these individuals had a lower chance of getting a hemorrhagic stroke.
The study covered over half a million Chinese individuals, and only showed that eggs were associated with heart health, and there was not a cause-and-effect issue.
The experiment, however, relegated individuals to one egg a day
Don’t Overindulge Though
That being said, no one in the study had more than one egg a day. Which means that the findings aren’t exactly an acceptance that you should eat three eggs a day!
It is also important to note that while the researchers managed to control other potential heart inflicting factors such as diet, smoking habits, and weight, the study was not able to determine whether a regular diet would provide the same positive effects.
That being said, Dr. Schulman says that some of the findings conclude that eggs are a positive part of a diet and ultimately good for you. Indeed, he himself has been preaching this message for quite a while now!