For decades, we were told that eggs are bad for us. In 1970, they were linked to cholesterol and heart attacks; then we were told that they carry salmonella. So we stopped eating them. Well, at least we reduced our consumption drastically.
This has now been relegated to the realm of mythology. Eggs are good for you. It’s official. It has been shown in a study to be published by the British Nutrition Foundation in March 2009, that eggs have a clinically insignificant effect on cholesterol levels. Not only that, their high protein content can help people lose weight. Research published in 2008 showed that people who ate two eggs per day, while on a calorie-restricted diet, not only lost weight but also reduced their blood cholesterol levels.
As a consequence, major health organisations revised their guidance. The British Heart Foundation withdrew its recommendation to limit eggs to 3-4 a week. The Food Standards Agency advised that most people don’t need to limit how many eggs they have if they are eating a balanced diet. The American Heart Association also removed specific reference to eggs in their dietary recommendations for heart health.
The research also showed that only one third of the cholesterol came from the diet, and that it was raised by saturated fat, not by eggs. According to the British Heart Foundation, “if you need to reduce your cholesterol level it is more important that you cut down on the amount of saturated fat in your diet from foods like fatty meat, full fat dairy products and cakes, biscuits and pastries.”
It remains true, of course, that increase in blood cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease. People who are overweight and don’t exercise are more likely to have high blood cholesterol. Only eggs are now out of this equation.
According to Prof. Bruce Griffin, Professor of Nutritional Metabolism from the University of Surrey and joint author of the new paper, people do not need to be limiting the number of eggs they eat – indeed they can be encouraged to include them in a healthy diet as they are one of nature’s most nutritionally dense foods.
Eggs are a good source of important nutrients: they are protein-rich and provide vitamin A, vitamin D, niacin and vitamin B12. Their fat content is predominantly unsaturated.
So, let’s put eggs back in our healthy breakfast and go to work on an egg. They definitely are part of my breakfast plans. If you don’t know about them, get a copy of my report on how to “Get Your Day Off To A Great Start.” Simply click here to get it.
