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Do eggs provide health benefits?
Although eggs are a staple of breakfast, many individuals might be unsure about their nutritional value.
Eggs are a highly effective, high-protein, and vitamin-rich food, containing only 78 calories each. There are roughly 6 grams of protein in a big egg. Other nutrients that are excellent for you to have in eggs are vitamin D (which supports immune system function and bone health) and choline (which supports liver function, metabolism, and the development of the fetus’s brain).
Egg yolks have been shown to contain high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been shown to lower the incidence of cataracts and macular degeneration, the primary cause of blindness in adults 55 years of age and beyond. Egg yolks can also be beneficial to the eyes.
Yet the cholesterol content of egg yolks is also well-known. The average big egg has 186 mg of cholesterol, which is more than half the daily recommended amount before the federal dietary guidelines(link opens in new window) eliminated the numerical objective in 2015 due to a lack of supporting data from scientific studies.
The bright aspect of egg consumption?
Eggs are still a source of dietary cholesterol, even if we are likely eating them more now than we did 20 years ago, according to Jo Ann Carson, a clinical nutrition professor at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “It makes sense for healthy people to eat one egg per day as part of a balanced diet.”
According to a May study that appeared in the journal Heart(link opens in new window), eating one egg a day might help prevent cancer.
Over the course of nine years, researchers examined almost half a million Chinese adults and discovered that eating up to one egg per day reduced the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, experts have noted that the study’s subjects did not follow a Western diet.
Another study from May indicated that eating at least 12 eggs a week for three months did not increase cardiovascular risk factors for persons with Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. It was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition(link opens in new window). That outcome was consistent with a nutritious diet intended to aid in weight loss for research participants.
When and how to consume eggs
According to Carson, it’s critical that people understand their risk factors. She noted that individuals who have diabetes, are at risk for heart disease, or have experienced a heart attack should be particularly mindful of the quantity of cholesterol in their diet.
That being said, cholesterol does not imply that eggs are a bad food choice. Carson noted that eggs might be regarded as less harmful if a person consumes little other cholesterol in their diet.
“Maybe the only source of cholesterol for someone who has chosen to become a vegetarian and avoid eating red meat would be an egg,” the spokesperson stated. “Those people should definitely consume a little bit more eggs in their diet.”
As there is a higher danger of salmonella when eggs are uncooked, they must be refrigerated and cooked through. Eggs can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as boiling, poaching, scrambling, or frying (link opens in new window).
As part of a balanced diet, the American Heart Association recommends that people who eat eggs (or egg whites) consume one or two eggs per day (link opens in new window).
Without the cholesterol of the yolk, egg whites are packed full of protein. Carson remembered combining two eggs with two egg whites to make lower-cholesterol scrambled eggs for her kids.
“If you don’t have the yolk, you’re going to miss out on other good things,” the woman stated.
Carson suggests using a non-tropical vegetable oil, such corn, canola, or olive oil, for those who enjoy fried eggs: “Certainly not adding animal fat would be a good thing to do.” When adding fat to food, she advised using heart-healthy oil rather than butter or bacon grease.
However, the bacon wasn’t a very good idea in the first place.