THE EFFECTS OF EATING TOO MANY EGGS
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Eggs and their cholesterol content are shedding their bad reputation. A growing body of research is finding that dietary cholesterol, such as that found in eggs, has much less effect on our arteries than previously thought and that dietary saturated fat is the artery-clogging culprit. While eggs do contain 5 g of fat, only 1.5 g of that is saturated. For most groups of people, eating several eggs a week will do no harm.
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Dietary cholesterol is simply cholesterol found in foods from animal sources, such as eggs, dairy products, beef, fish and poultry. The cholesterol you get from a healthy diet is much less than the cholesterol your body makes naturally, but when you have too much “bad” cholesterol in your blood, it puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke. Because eggs have a high amount of cholesterol, past dietary guidelines have recommended you eat no more than three to four eggs a week. However, several studies have led to easing that limitation and indicate that saturated fat in the diet is more responsible for “bad” cholesterol than any dietary cholesterol you consume.
EGG CHOLESTEROL STUDIES
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrition Evidence Library, or NEL, conducted an overview of 16 studies that evaluated the effect of dietary cholesterol -- in the form of eggs -- on cardiovascular disease. For most people in most studies, eating six eggs per week -- and in some studies, more -- did not increase “bad” cholesterol and, in fact, increased "good" cholesterol. Most studies found no increased risk for stroke, heart attack or cardiovascular disease. The NEL concluded that “consumption of one egg a day is not associated with risk of coronary heart disease or stroke in healthy adults.”
AT-RISK GROUPS
Certain groups of people are susceptible to the increased consumption of dietary cholesterol, including that from eggs. Diabetics have increased risk of heart disease with consumption of one or more eggs a day. If you already have high cholesterol or if you have a family history of it, you are also at risk. In addition, some people’s blood cholesterol levels respond significantly to the amount of dietary cholesterol they consume. There is no test to determine if you are a “responder” or not, so, checking your cholesterol numbers is important. In all of these cases, it is best to consult your doctor about how many eggs per week are safe for you to eat.
THE UNITED STATES VS. CANADA AND BRITAIN
In Canada, nutrition recommendations have not specified an upper limit on suggested cholesterol intake since 1990, as dietary saturated fat is thought to be the source of “bad” cholesterol. The British Heart Foundation lifted its suggested limits on egg consumption in 2009 in the wake of new research. The United States, though, has been more cautious than other countries when it comes to cholesterol; it recommends limiting dietary cholesterol intake to 300 mg per day and less than 200 mg per day for those at risk.
THE BENEFITS OF EATING EGGS
Eggs are low-calorie and nutrition-packed. One egg contains 6 g of protein and nutrients that can lower your risk for cataracts and macular degeneration and give you healthy hair and nails. Eggs are one of the rare foods with naturally occurring vitamin D. An egg contains all nine essential amino acids and almost every essential vitamin and mineral. Eggs are healthy, and as long as you keep your intake of saturated fat low, you can welcome eggs back into your diet with no worries.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; Household Commodity Fact Sheet -- Shell Eggs; April 2009
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; Dietary Guidelines for Americans -- Fatty Acids and Cholesterol; 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; Nutrition Evidence Library; What is the Effect of Dietary…; 2010
- Harvard School of Public Health; The Nutrition Source -- Eggs and Heart Disease
- Harvard School of Public Health; The Nutrition Source -- Fats and Cholesterol: Out With the Bad…
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