Eggs: The Incredible, Edible Ovum Egg!

For centuries, the humble egg has graced breakfast tables around the world. Scrambled, fried, boiled, poached, or baked – we just can’t seem to get enough of this awesomely versatile food. But when it comes to your health, is there a right way and a wrong way to eat eggs?

From a science & nutrition perspective, we’re here to ‘crack open’ the truth (…see what we did there? lol).

Let’s start with the basics. As many of us learned in school, the egg is a powerhouse of nutrition. After all, whether it’s chicken eggs, duck eggs, or really any edible eggs – yes, even fish eggs though we won’t be talking about caviar in this post – eggs are built to provide all the nutrition & calories – 100% of everything! – that a developing chicken, duck, or whatever, needs to survive and grow during its first phase of life.

And wouldn’t you know, they even happen to be healthy for us as well!

As for chicken eggs, they are packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin which are good for your eyes (1). The yolk in particular contains key nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, and choline.

(Choline is especially important for pregnant women as it contributes to the baby’s brain development (2).)

But for a long time, eggs got a bad rap because of their high cholesterol content. It’s true that one large egg contains around 186 mg of cholesterol, all of it in the yolk (3). For reference, the recommended daily limit of cholesterol is 300 mg. However, research in recent decades has shown that dietary cholesterol has very little effect on blood cholesterol levels in most people (4). Saturated and trans fats tend to be much bigger culprits when it comes to raising LDL (bad) cholesterol.

So how many eggs should you eat, and how often should you eat them? Current nutrition guidelines say up to one egg per day as part of a heart-healthy diet is perfectly fine for healthy people. Going above that may increase heart disease risk in those predisposed to it, especially if you eat a lot of saturated fat too (5). My advice is to enjoy eggs in moderation as part of an overall balanced diet.

Now, let’s get to the nitty gritty of how to eat eggs in the healthiest way possible:

1. Choose whole eggs. Egg whites are just protein and lack all the nutrients in the yolk. The exception is if you are trying to cut calories or fat for a specific goal, then egg whites can help.

2. Mix up how you prepare them. Boiling, poaching, scrambling, omelets – they’re all good! Frying adds extra fat and calories, so just be mindful of portions.

3. Watch the add-ins. Adding veggies like spinach or tomatoes boosts nutrition. But going overboard on fatty meats like bacon and cheese adds saturated fat and sodium.

4. Pair eggs with fiber-rich foods. Fiber helps balance out eggs’ saturated fat and cholesterol. Good options are whole grain toast, oatmeal, or fruit.

5. Time it right. Some research shows our bodies may absorb less cholesterol from eggs at lunch and dinner vs. breakfast (6). But the difference is modest, so listen to your body.

6. Know your risk factors. People with diabetes, heart disease, or high cholesterol should be more conservative with egg intake and check with their doctor.

7. Shop smart. Choose eggs fortified with omega-3s or from chickens fed a vegetarian diet to get more healthy fats. And always cook eggs thoroughly to avoid any risk of salmonella.

The bottom line is that eggs can absolutely be part of a nutritious diet. A veggie omelet on whole wheat toast is a satiating, protein-packed way to start your day. A hard boiled egg with an apple makes a super simple, on-the-go lunch. And a frittata loaded with veggies makes an easy, healthy dinner.

So crack open those shells and whip up some eggs, done the right way. Your body and taste buds will thank you! Just don’t chicken out on the veggies and fiber to balance things out. Now if you’ll egg-scuse me, I’m off to make myself an omelet and prove everything I’ve said is true.

References:

1. Abdel-Aal el-SM, et al. Dietary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin carotenoids and their role in eye health. Nutrients. 2013 Apr 9;5(4):1169-85.

2. Caudill MA. Pre- and postnatal health: evidence of increased choline needs. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Aug;110(8):1198-206.

3. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Egg, whole, raw, fresh. FoodData Central. 2019.

4. Berger S, et al. Dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Aug;102(2):276-94.

5. US Department of Health and Human Services and US Department of Agriculture. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015.

6. Missimer A, et al. Effect of Egg Ingestion on Chylomicrons and Postprandial Lipid Response in Normolipidemic Humans. J Am Coll Nutr. 2017 Apr;36(3):177-184.