Eggs Are Back on the Healthy Eating Menu
Learn about the many health benefits of eating whole eggs.
For decades, Americans avoided eggs on the premise that high-cholesterol, high-fat foods were unhealthy. Turns out, this was bad advice. The committee that develops our country’s nutritional guidance standards has officially recanted their anti-egg position, stating that there is “no appreciable relationship” between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol after all. In other words, though eggs are rich in cholesterol, eating eggs will not boost “bad” blood cholesterol, clog your arteries, or increase your risk of a heart attack.
In fact, recent research suggests that in addition to not presenting heart health risks, eggs could actually be heart-protective. One study found that eating whole eggs increases “good” blood cholesterol. This type of cholesterol actually helps keep your arteries clean and clear by removing “bad” cholesterol.
Nutritional Benefits of Eggs
Eggs are now back on the menu, which is great news because they are absolutely backed with important nutrients:
Choline: Egg yolks are rich in the B-complex vitamin choline, which can help improve neurological function, reduce inflammation, and even make you feel happier. As choline breaks down in the body, it produces compounds which in turn help to produce happiness hormones like serotonin and dopamine.
Lutein: Another important nutrient found in egg yolks is lutein, a carotenoid that helps protect against vision loss. Eggs also contain zeaxanthin, which serves a similar purpose.
Sulfur: Most people don’t think of sulfur as an important nutrient. But in reality, it is essential for producing collagen and keratin for healthy skin and nails. It also helps with vitamin B absorption and live function. So don’t turn up your nose next time you get a whiff of sulfur from a hard-boiled egg yolk!
Protein: With 6 grams of protein in the average egg, eggs make an excellent source of energy. Best of all, the type of protein found in eggs is considered easily digestible and extremely healthy because it contains all 9 essential amino acids.
Healthy Fat: An egg has 5.3 grams of fat, less than half of which comes from saturated fat. Eggs make a good source of the healthy unsaturated fat necessary to digest fat-soluble vitamins and support other vital bodily processes.
Adding Eggs to Your Diet
When creating a diet plan, balance is always important. If you want to start eating more eggs, make sure you compensate for the calories and fats you will be adding with more exercise or by cutting calories elsewhere in your diet, or you risk gaining weight. The Mayo Clinic recommends that healthy adults eat no more than 4 eggs per day. When buying eggs, you may want to splurge for the organic, free-range eggs as they are likely to contain higher levels of nutrients due to the improved diet and health of the chickens that laid them.
If you want to learn more about adding eggs to your diet, please contact us to set up a consultation with a certified personal nutritionist.
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