A recent study suggest that eating of eggs should be done in moderation, especially for people at high risk for heart diseases.

A review regarding the dangers of cholesterol present in a person’s diet, especially for those who are at risk of a stroke or heart attack, was published by three leading physicians in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. The review was actually a warning, saying that one of the leading sources of cholesterol are egg yolks, which may contain cholesterol levels from 215 to 275 mg, depending on its size. It was actually compared to Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Double Down bun-less sandwich made up of cheese and bacon in between two slabs of fried chicken.  KFC’s one-of-a-kind sandwich is said to contain a cholesterol level of 150 mg.  For patients who are at risk of developing diseases of the heart, a limit to their total dietary cholesterol is set:  it should be less than 200 mg of cholesterol on a daily basis.

Dr. David Spence from The University of Western Ontario, a stroke prevention expert; Dr. David Jenkins, a nutrition expert coming from  Toronto’s St. Michael Hospital’s Risk Factor Modification Center; and Dr. Jean Davignon, a cholesterol expert from Montreal’s Clinique de nutrition métabolisme et athérosclérose, were the three physicians who conducted and published the review.

Dr. Spence, a scientist and professor at Robarts Research Institutes’ Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, said that the aim of the review is to put cholesterol into the spotlight, mainly because there have been a pervasive misconception among some physicians and the Canadian public as well, saying that consuming more and more amounts of egg yolks and dietary cholesterol is harmless.  He said that most of this has something to do with efficient marketing of eggs.

The said review made a commentary with regards to the difference between dietary cholesterol and fasting cholesterol levels.  It also tackled two large-scale studies which illustrated that no harm is done when egg is consumed by healthy people.  The authors of the review pointed out that in both previous studies, subjects who developed diabetes as they were consuming one egg per day had a two-fold risk of developing cardiovascular diseases as compared to the subject who ate less than one egg per week.  Furthermore, the studies indicated that consuming eggs on a regular basis brought out a significant increase in the development of new-onset diabetes mellitus.

As a conclusion, the authors said that the value of egg white remains to be unquestionable.  It is still an important source of protein that is excellent in quality.  However, egg yolks are another story.  The high levels of cholesterol present in an egg yolk is enough reason for it not to be eaten indiscriminately, especially by adults who are at risk for cardiovascular diseases.

The Egg in Focus:  Why You Should Not Stop Eating Eggs

The result of the review is enough reason for you to back down on eating eggs, stop altogether and look for other sources of protein.  WRONG.  Truth of the matter is, the egg is one of the best sources of high-quality, low-cost protein, supplying 11.1 percent of a person’s daily needs.  But this does not mean that we can all simply discount the findings of the study and consider it as untrue.  What the study was trying to tell us is that, everything should be done in moderation.  Too much of something is bad, and in this case, too eating too much whole eggs (the white and the yolk) is not advised, most especially for people who are at high risk for diseases of the heart.

Eating whole eggs, especially organic ones, does wonders for the body.  This may be the perfect time to weigh in on the advantages and disadvantages of eating eggs.

Eggs Boost Brain Health

One of the health benefits of eggs is their role in one’s diet as a good source of choline, an important component in body structures such as cell membranes as it maintains the cell’s integrity and flexibility.  Choline is also needed for the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that transmits messages to and from cells, especially in the brain. Sufficient amounts of choline allows proper functioning of the brain cells, helping improve one’s thinking, memory, judgment and other brain functions.

Although the human body is capable of producing choline, it cannot produce sufficient levels enough for the body’s use.  Lack of choline may cause deficiency in folic acid, another form of vitamin B that is critical for one’s health.

Eggs Reduces Inflammation

Again, the choline found in eggs are responsible for reducing the levels of inflammatory markers inside the body.  This is according to a study conducted by Greek researchers , the result of which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. For subjects whose diets were supplemented with choline and its betaine metabolite, the levels of inflammatory markers such as tumour necrosis factor alpha, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6 were 20 percent lower compared to the subjects with low intake. These inflammatory markers have been linked to various conditions which includes type-2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline, osteoporosis and heart disease.

According to the study, the richest source of choline is found in the egg yolk.

Eggs Help in Losing Weight

A controlled, randomized trial involving 160 obese and overweight men and women was conducted by Dhurandhar and company.  The participants were divided into two groups:  one group was given breakfast with two eggs, and the other group was given a bagel for breakfast. The amount of calories was calculated in order to ensure that both groups receive the same amount of calories. The study was conducted for a period of 8 weeks, where the participants had to eat their assigned breakfast menu 5 days a week.

After the 8-week period, results showed that the egg-eaters lost weight, two times more than their bagel-eating counterparts.  They also had an 83 percent reduction in waist circumference, and they reported better energy levels.

Eggs are good for the Eyes

Egg yolks contain large amounts of carotenoids, specifically zeaxanthin and lutein.  Studies have shown that increased dietary intake of zeaxanthin and lutein is linked to a significant reduction in the risk for developing age-related macular degeneration and cataract. The studies were conducted by at the University of Massachusetts.

Eggs help prevent Blood Clots

According to a study that was published in Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, proteins contained in egg yolk are responsible for inhibiting the aggregation of platelets.  It also prolongs fibrinogen to fibrin conversion time thereby reducing the possibility of blood clot formation.  Blood clots pose as a health threat when it impedes blood circulation.

Sources
healthdiaries.com
whfoods.com
eurekalert.org

So where’s the truth lie?

As I’ve reported in the past, eggs are a GREAT, complete protein food source – one little egg contains the nine essential amino acids the body cannot make therefore needs in order for the body to repair old muscle and build new muscle (not all protein sources are complete; beans, for instance, are an incomplete protein).  But as I’ve also reported in the past, too many eggs in the diet are a great way to increase your mortality risk (see “‘Egg’regious Health Hazard”).  But if you have one egg a day, it can keep you looking just as healthy and trim as those that shy away from eggs for fear of excess cholesterol.

As recently published in the International Journal of Obesity, people that included eggs in their diet were better able to follow a strict meal plan that enabled them to lose pounds of weight.  The study involved participants between the ages of 25 and 60, all obese, and all following a dietary plan with a restricted number of calories.  The researchers from Louisiana State University found that when the participants were grouped according to what they ate for breakfast – both following reduced-calorie diets – those that had two eggs for breakfast lost 65 percent more weight overall than the group that had a bagel for breakfast.  The researchers believe the combination of fat, carbohydrates and protein found in eggs brings a greater sense of satiety, or fullness, thus preventing them from splurging on other foods to alleviate hunger pangs.

While I am indeed an advocate of eating eggs, I advise that you eat no more than one a day.  This is largely because of the amount of cholesterol found in a solitary egg yolk – about 270 mg of cholesterol (nearly 90 percent of your daily recommended value)!

If one egg won’t fill you, add a few more but remove the egg yolks, leaving one for taste.  Other than taste, leaving the one yolk ensures you get the complete protein aspect of eggs (removing the egg yolk removes the cholesterol but it also makes for an incomplete protein).  If you’re being really strict about your diet and don’t want to have the yolk, I have no problem with that.  But you should at least supplement it with some kind of protein to make it complete.  One way to make it complete is by having your scrambled egg whites with a side of whole wheat toast spread with natural peanut butter.

My final bit of advice on eggs is to avoid eggs from the grocery store.  You never know where these eggs originate from, how old they are, or how the chickens were raised.  All these things affect the nutritional quality of the egg.  Opt for eggs fresh from a local farm, where you know how the chickens are raised and what they’re fed.  If you’re neck of the woods isn’t exactly Green Acres, head to the whole food market and grab a dozen eggs certified organic – the organic seal certifies they’re nutritionally sound, meaning the chickens were fed quality grain and raised humanely.

When it comes to the natural foods of the earth – the ones that haven’t been reformulated or processed – virtually no food is off limits, so long as they’re eaten in moderation. But could eggs be the ‘egg’ception?

  Eggs are chock-full of quality protein for muscle building, have quality nutrients like folate and choline for pregnant women, and are rich in carotenoids like lutein, which promotes eye health. On the other hand, other studies suggest that eating eggs increases the likelihood of death!

Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a study conducted by researchers from Harvard Medical School followed over 21,300 middle-aged male physicians, all of whom agreed to have their lifestyle habits documented over a 20-year period.  Over the 20-year period of observation, approximately 5,000 of the men died.  And in the researchers’ analysis, middle-aged men who ate more than seven eggs a week were at a 23 percent higher risk of mortality than those men who ate six or fewer eggs per week.  A more startling finding was that there was an increased risk of death among physicians who had diabetes; they were twice as likely to have died in the 20-year period if they consumed eggs at all – whether it was one a week or seven a week.

Though over 1,500 men suffered a heart attack in the 20 years of observation, the researchers don’t believe egg consumption played a role in the prevalence of heart attacks among the men observed.  The researchers advise further study among the general population, as this study was relegated to physicians.

So, where does this study leave us?  Well, for one thing, it certainly adds to the conflicting bodies of evidence about eggs and whether or not they are, in fact, healthy.  As far as I’m concerned, even though these doctors’ research advises against eating more than seven eggs per week, it’s not enough to swear off eggs entirely.  Not enough for the former president of the American Heart Association, either.

“Eggs are like all other foods – they are neither good nor bad,” writes former AHA president Dr. Robert Eckel.  “[Eggs] can be part of an overall heart-healthy diet.”

I support the good doctor’s thoughts (though I would argue there are some foods worth calling “bad”).  After all, the study does not indicate a causal connection between death and egg consumption.  For instance, the men who consumed the most eggs were also heavier in weight, exercised infrequently, were more likely to smoke, more likely to drink alcohol and ate less cereal – a great food source for whole grains.

As usual, more research needs to be conducted, but at the very least, this study supports perhaps the wisest phrase in the American lexicon regarding what it takes to remain healthy:  Everything in moderation.  I repeat my original assertion:  virtually no natural food is off limits, so long as they’re consumed in moderation and are minimally processed.  And it doesn’t get more natural or more unprocessed than the good, old-fashioned egg.