Eggs have taken a beating (no pun intended) for the fact they have cholesterol in them. This has caused a trend of egg-white only consumers.
Yes, it's true, they do have cholesterol. The standard egg was once approximately 210 milligrams, however, the most recent studies has it around 185 milligrams. Still, this puts you real close to the recommended upper intake of 300 milligrams that has been recommended by the American Heart Association. If you already have high cholesterol, they recommend 200 mg. However, we have to be careful here.
Admittedly, the AHA states that a diet high in saturated fat is the primary culprit you have to watch for in your diet to avoid raising cholesterol. Fact is, you don't need cholesterol or saturated fat in your diet at all. Your body will create its own cholesterol needs in the liver. When you get too much saturated fat, this fat can convert in cholesterol in the body in the form of LDL's (low-density lipoproteins), which is also known as the "bad cholesterol".
With that said, you can still be led to believe that eggs are bad for you. However, let's address some other facts about eggs:
Eggs yolks have essential nutrients: Let's begin with polyunsaturated fats Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids which have been shown to decrease blood-serum cholesterol and increase HDL's (the good cholesterol). You need these fats in your diet as you do not create them in your body. Then you have Vitamin A, E, and D. These fat soluble vitamins are most absorbed in animal fat as opposed to plant based fat. The most recent estimates have shown that Vitamin D has increased in the yolk as much as 17.5 mg to make it 41 mg for one egg. You also have a good amount of B12 for energy metabolism. Then there is Riboflavin, Folate, and Pantothentic Acid. In addition, it has Choline which reduces homocysteines in your blood (an inflammatory marker that increases the chance of a heart attack), plus very high in Selenium which supports your immune system and works symbiotically with Vitamin E.
Protein is in the Yolk: If you're under the belief that all the protein is in the egg whites, you're mistaken. Though there is a little more protein in egg whites, you need to consume the yolks in order to balance out the essential amino acids required in you diet. In other words, the egg yolks and egg whites together is what creates a complete protein. So high in protein in fact, it is considered to be the most complete protein and highest in bioavailability of all foods in the human diet.
Food Cholesterol doesn't increase blood cholesterol necessarily: Studies have shown that the consumption of cholesterol is less of a concern to raise cholesterol than saturated fat. Studies show that egg eaters generally have less blood-serum cholesterol, so long as you avoid other foods high in saturated fats. Other foods high in saturated fats would be standard beef, foods fried in oil, or lathered in butter or margarine. Of course, you can't forget about all the process foods that are high in trans-fats. Your liver converts these fats into cholesterol in order to deal with the overwhelm of fats. Most people can handle the cholesterol in eggs though and the saturated fat content will not put you through the roof.
So, there you have it. Whole eggs aren't so bad afterall. Quite the contrary, egg yolks are good for you and can actually improve cardiovascular health. Bare in mind, that one to two egg yolks in the day is okay so long as you have an overall low saturated fat diet. When preparing eggs, eat them boiled or if fried, use a light amount of olive oil instead of butter or margarine. While you're at it, throw in some onions, mushrooms, or any vegetable you want to make it even better for you.
written by:
Kelly Huggins, A-CPT
Exercise Science, B.S.
NPTI Instructor
Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach
Admittedly, the AHA states that a diet high in saturated fat is the primary culprit you have to watch for in your diet to avoid raising cholesterol. Fact is, you don't need cholesterol or saturated fat in your diet at all. Your body will create its own cholesterol needs in the liver. When you get too much saturated fat, this fat can convert in cholesterol in the body in the form of LDL's (low-density lipoproteins), which is also known as the "bad cholesterol".
With that said, you can still be led to believe that eggs are bad for you. However, let's address some other facts about eggs:
Eggs yolks have essential nutrients: Let's begin with polyunsaturated fats Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids which have been shown to decrease blood-serum cholesterol and increase HDL's (the good cholesterol). You need these fats in your diet as you do not create them in your body. Then you have Vitamin A, E, and D. These fat soluble vitamins are most absorbed in animal fat as opposed to plant based fat. The most recent estimates have shown that Vitamin D has increased in the yolk as much as 17.5 mg to make it 41 mg for one egg. You also have a good amount of B12 for energy metabolism. Then there is Riboflavin, Folate, and Pantothentic Acid. In addition, it has Choline which reduces homocysteines in your blood (an inflammatory marker that increases the chance of a heart attack), plus very high in Selenium which supports your immune system and works symbiotically with Vitamin E.
Protein is in the Yolk: If you're under the belief that all the protein is in the egg whites, you're mistaken. Though there is a little more protein in egg whites, you need to consume the yolks in order to balance out the essential amino acids required in you diet. In other words, the egg yolks and egg whites together is what creates a complete protein. So high in protein in fact, it is considered to be the most complete protein and highest in bioavailability of all foods in the human diet.
Food Cholesterol doesn't increase blood cholesterol necessarily: Studies have shown that the consumption of cholesterol is less of a concern to raise cholesterol than saturated fat. Studies show that egg eaters generally have less blood-serum cholesterol, so long as you avoid other foods high in saturated fats. Other foods high in saturated fats would be standard beef, foods fried in oil, or lathered in butter or margarine. Of course, you can't forget about all the process foods that are high in trans-fats. Your liver converts these fats into cholesterol in order to deal with the overwhelm of fats. Most people can handle the cholesterol in eggs though and the saturated fat content will not put you through the roof.
So, there you have it. Whole eggs aren't so bad afterall. Quite the contrary, egg yolks are good for you and can actually improve cardiovascular health. Bare in mind, that one to two egg yolks in the day is okay so long as you have an overall low saturated fat diet. When preparing eggs, eat them boiled or if fried, use a light amount of olive oil instead of butter or margarine. While you're at it, throw in some onions, mushrooms, or any vegetable you want to make it even better for you.
written by:
Kelly Huggins, A-CPT
Exercise Science, B.S.
NPTI Instructor
Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach
No comments:
Post a Comment