Eggs are as unhealthy as a fast-food meal

Eggs are packed with protein, B vitamins and other healthy nutrients necessary for a healthy body but they are also the heart’s worst enemy.  According to three prominent Canadian physicians, one egg contains more cholesterol than some fast-food meals. Eating one or more eggs a day can put a person at risk of developing heart disease. 

Why Eggs are Considered Dangerous to the Heart

In truth, it is the egg yolk that is the dangerous part of the egg.  One large egg yolk contains approximately 213 milligrams of cholesterol – almost a whole day’s worth of cholesterol for a healthy person and over the limit of cholesterol for people with heart disease, diabetes or high cholesterol.  Healthy people should limit cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams per day while people with heart disease, at risk of heart disease or who have diabetes should not exceed 200 milligrams per day.  According to the Canadian physicians, who published their report in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, the average fast-food meal contains approximately 150 milligrams of cholesterol.  The physicians compared the egg to a fast-food meal to demonstrate just how unhealthy eating eggs on a daily basis is.  They felt that effective marketing of the egg had led people to believe eggs were a healthy choice. 

The good news is egg whites contain no cholesterol and are also a good source of protein.  But if you are watching your calories or sodium, you may want to skip the egg whites too.  Egg white from one large egg contains 117 calories and 403 milligrams of sodium.  This takes up a big portion of the daily sodium allowance of 1,500 milligrams per day.

Should You Ever Eat Eggs?

Eating eggs on a daily basis, even for healthy people, can contribute to a person developing high cholesterol over time.  For people at risk of heart disease, who have heart disease or who have diabetes, eating eggs regularly is dangerous.  But that doesn’t mean you should never eat an egg.  According to Thomas Behrenbeck, M.D. of the Mayo Clinic of Rochester, MN, you can eat an egg occasionally, but limit your intake of cholesterol accordingly.  If you eat an egg for breakfast, choose vegetables and fruit for the remainder of the day and limit or avoid high-fat dairy foods.  Another choice is to try a cholesterol-free egg substitute. 

Eggs can be part of a heart-healthy diet if eaten occasionally and if people watch their cholesterol intake on the days they eat eggs.  If you have heart disease, high cholesterol or diabetes, talk to your doctor about your diet and if you can eat eggs.

Sources:

Nutrition Data “Egg Whites”

Science Daily “One Egg Yolk Worse Than Some Fast-Food Meals When It Comes to Cholesterol, Canadian Physicians Say”

Mayo Clinic “Eggs: Are they good or bad for my cholesterol?”