Nutrition professionals have an excellent track record of demonizing healthy foods.
Red meat, cheese, coconut oil… to name a few.
But the #1 worst example is their decades of propaganda against eggs, which are among the healthiest foods on the planet.
Eggs do NOT Cause Heart Disease
Historically, eggs have been considered unhealthy because they contain cholesterol.
A large egg contains 212mg of cholesterol, which is a lot compared to most other foods.
However, it has been proven, time and time again, that eggs and dietary cholesterol do NOT adversely affect cholesterol levels in the blood.
In fact, eggs raise HDL (the good) cholesterol. They also change LDL cholesterol from small, dense LDL (which is bad) to large LDL, which is benign (1, 2, 3).
A new meta-analysis published in 2013 looked at 17 prospective studies on egg consumption and health. They discovered that eggs had no association with either heart disease or stroke in otherwise healthy people (4).
This isn’t new data. Multiple older studies have led to the same conclusion (5, 6).
Bottom Line: Despite the fear mongering of the past few decades, eating eggs and cholesterol has no association whatsoever with heart disease.
Eggs Are Rich in Unique Antioxidants
Eggs are particularly rich in the two antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthine.
These antioxidants gather in the retina of the eye and protect against the eye diseases Macular Degeneration and Cataracts (7, 8, 9).
In one study, supplementing with an average of 1.3 egg yolks per day for 4.5 weeks increased blood levels of Lutein by 28-50% and Zeaxanthine by 114-142% (10).
Bottom Line: Eggs contain large amounts of the antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthine, which dramatically lower your risk of age-related eye disorders.
Eggs Are Among The Most Nutritious Foods on The Planet
Just think about it… one egg contains all the nutrients and building blocks required to grow an entire baby chicken.
Eggs are loaded with high-quality proteins, vitamins, minerals, good fats and various trace nutrients.
A large egg contains (11):
- Only 77 calories, with 5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein with all 9 essential amino acids.
- Rich in iron, phosphorous, selenium and vitamins A, B12, B2 and B5 (among others).
- One egg contains 113 mg of Choline – a very important nutrient for the brain, among other things. A study revealed that 90% of Americans may not get enough choline in their diet (12).
If you decide to include eggs in your diet (you should) then make sure to eat Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs. They are much more nutritious than eggs from factory-raised chickens.
Eat the yolks, they contain pretty much all the nutrients!
Bottom Line: Eggs contain all 9 essential amino acids, are highly concentrated with vitamins and minerals and are among the best sources of choline you can get. Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs are best.
Eggs Are Satiating and Help You Lose Weight
Eggs score high on a scale called the Satiety Index, which means that eggs are particularly capable of making you feel full and eat less overall calories (13).
Eggs only contain trace amounts of carbohydrate, which means that they will not raise blood glucose levels.
In a study of 30 overweight or obese women that ate either a bagel or eggs for breakfast, the egg group ended up eating less during lunch, the rest of the day and for the next 36 hours (14).
In another study, overweight men and women were calorie-restricted and given either a breakfast of 2 eggs (340 kcal) or an isocaloric breakfast of bagels. After 8 weeks, the egg eating group had a (15):
- 61% greater reduction in BMI.
- 65% more weight loss.
- 34% greater reduction in waist circumference.
- 16% greater reduction in body fat.
…even though both breakfasts contained the same number of calories.
Bottom Line: Eggs are a nutritious, protein rich food with a strong impact on satiety. Studies show that eating eggs for breakfast can help you lose weight.
An Egg-ceptional Superfood
If you need any more reasons to eat eggs… they are cheap, go with almost any food and taste awesome.
If there was any food I’d be willing to classify as a superfood, it would be eggs.
Hi Kris.
Love your regular updates. Thank you.
One question regarding eggs, what are the benefits of restricting to the egg whites only? I am on a strict weight loss program and have been advised to avoid the yolks until I reach my goal weight, because of the calorie content. What are your views on this?
I would eat the yolks if I were you. If you’re eating a fixed number of calories, then cut back on other foods instead.
We are now raising back yard chickens for the eggs (fun to watch). To hear it is good having a few eggs every day… well, a good thing!
Since my little ladies (4 hens) will be laying about 600-700 eggs a year.
Thanks! I think I’ll have a couple. what are some suggestions of how to fancy them up or disguise them so that my daughter an egg hater might try them?
Hmm… maybe throw in some cheese with the eggs?
Syrup on eggs = amazing.
I love eggs, but a question I have is why after eating them I feel nauseous? I’ve tried eating just the whites, then just the yolks and I still feel queasy. I can never have them just on their own, which is a shame because there’s nothing nicer than a boiled egg with a sprinkle of salt… I still persist but have to have them with something else either in a salad or with bacon, then I don’t get the yuk stomach… Any ideas as to what is causing this?
Very strange. I’m clueless as to what could be causing it.
My step mom was the same way when she would eat store bought eggs. She now can only eat fresh farm eggs, it has something to do with what they feed them. That might not be the same in your case but just though I would share.
Hmm, maybe it’s what you’re preparing the eggs IN (butter? margarine? coconut oil? etc.?). If you haven’t already, try just a plain hard-boiled egg.
If you are reacting to the fat, it could be nothing, or it could be gall bladder problems; also some diabetes medications can cause nausea when too much fat is consumed.
Sounds like you could have an egg allergy. A GI response to allergens is less common than a skin or respiratory one, but it is definitely possible to suffer nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea from ingesting an allergen.
Last week the SF Chronicle Business Section ran an article about the “clean food” industry. The “clean food” industry makes fake foods out of soy, canola oil, gums, etc. The story featured a company trying to come up with a fake egg “because it will have a longer shelf life”. It also mentioned a company I’d heard profiled on NPR some months ago that is making a “clean food” chicken out of soy that is difficult to tell apart from the real thing. So far, with respect to the fake eggs, they haven’t found a way to deliver the right texture at a cost as low as a real egg. But they will . . . .
This is SCARY stuff. How can people possibly think that it’s a good thing to replace the egg-nature’s most perfect food, with a fake, synthesized product full of GMO soy? Why is that considered “clean food”? Why would anybody think that’s a good thing for the human body?
Lol that’s disgusting!
Probably someone catering to the vegetarian market. I’m sure they’d be all over it.
Kris,
It’s a shame that some people still think eggs are unhealthy. I love eggs because they are one of the easiest things to make and taste great. I’m a big fan of the egg and vegetable scrambles as I know you are also.
Alykhan
What is the maximum amount of eggs a woman should eat per week before she needs to worry about high cholesterol. I am a mid 30 year old woman, active, non drinker, smoker, drug user, healthy, and enjoy eating hard boiled, scrambled eggs ands omelets.
If I were you, I wouldn’t worry about it at all. There is no evidence that egg consumption has adverse effects on cholesterol in otherwise healthy people.
Christina,
I’m a 53 year old woman and my cholesterol (total and LDL) has gone DOWN since adding eggs back into my diet–as many as 5 a day. HDL has gone up a LOT and triglycerides are very low. The cholesterol in food will NOT raise your blood levels of cholesterol, and are not a risk factor for heart disease. The lipid theory has been disproven.
Thanks for the anecdote. Do you mind sharing you LDL and cholesterol and hdl a numbers?
We have “backyard” chickens and get wonderful pastured eggs everyday. We plan on linking to this page from our site. Have an eggcellent day, Kris!
Are there any studies of health impacts of high egg consumption, ie above 3 eggs including yolks a day? Observational or experimental studies would both count.
I need to share this with my son’s teacher! We currently live in Indonesia and at school right now they are learning about healthy foods. His teacher keeps telling him that eggs are not healthy and now he won’t eat them. He has always loved eggs but he loves his teacher more and I am very unhappy that she is telling him NOT to eat eggs. He is only 4 and a very picky eater, so I always get him to eat eggs at least every other day because they are full of so many vitamins and nutrients that he needs.
I have often thought that if eggs were bad for one’s health, that would have become very apparent among farmers like me who eat 5 or 6 eggs a day. Since eggs are delicious and almost free, and since farmers are not rich, I bet a lot of us eat a lot of eggs. No one ever had to make special mortality tables just for farmers!
Can you point to studies that show that eating 3-4 eggs a day, as you do, does not increase health risks? The meta-analysis you point to looks at people who consume 1 egg a day. This finding (that one egg a day is fine), is in line with the conclusions drawn by the Harvard Nurses Study and others (see http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/eggs/#1). But there are studies out there that show that too many eggs increases heart problems (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18195171?dopt=Citation)
This one here used 3 eggs per day and is an intervention study. No adverse effects, just improvements: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286309000035
The study you cited is an observational study and the effect is fairly weak. Doesn’t really mean anything unless confirmed in a controlled trial.
I am a young college student (17) who absolutely LOVES eggs. My favorite is hard-boiled because they are easy to make and eat when I don’t have time to make a whole meal! The nutrients in eggs keep my skin and hair healthy, and keep me full and focused during long study sessions. Go eggs :)
According to the studies:
“Eggs are better than bagels” – does anyone really suggest eating bagels for breakfast every day?
Eggs are ok, IF you have no health problems. Should not be overweight, have diabetes or high cholesterol.
My opinion is if you are young, or are very active and have no health problems, then eat as many as you like.
As I am getting older, I think I will cut back to around 3 per week. I feel better with pre-made oatmeal or a piece of toast with good peanut butter on it.
I’m 58 years old. I’ve been averaging 5 – 6 eggs/day for at least 5 years. Maybe longer. I eat scrambled or fried eggs every morning. I don’t even think about eating again until lunch. I use to eat a bowl of homemade oatmeal, but by 10:00 I had to have something to eat. My cholesterol and triglycerides are fine, and I feel great. Eggs are awesome!
I may be overdoing it a bit. I eat 3 eggs a day for breakfast. I am on a low carb diet and eggs are the best option for breakfast. It’s either eggs or sausage. I feel full after eating eggs all the way up to lunchtime.
I love eggs. They make me feel full and amazingly put me in a good mood. I’m positive they possess stress busting properties.
I eat four eggs every morning and have been for the past 10 years. On the weekends, I even throw in five pieces of bacon in the mix. I’ve never had any health problems. In fact, I visited the doctor a month ago and she literally said I was one of the healthiest patients she’s ever seen.
I think key here is that people stay active, don’t smoke, and naturally take care of themselves. For example, a sedentary person who eats lots of sugar has a much higher chance of developing diabetes. An active person who eats sugar will actually assist their muscles, the sugars will be used as fuel, and will probably not result in diabetes. Same goes for high fatty foods. The whole package is needed for health!
I once ate an entire dozen eggs in one sitting. It was pretty difficult and I had to choke them down with some water. (I wouldn’t recommend that lol!) I felt great. Like I was empowered. Sort of like I had taken some kind of drug or something. Eggs are awesome. They are feel good foods, physically, not emotionally.
I have a very strange situation… I’m still trying to figure it out.
5 weeks ago I became very ill. I vomited for a week and my chest, side, and back were hurting badly. After an ultrasound and hida scan it was determined that my gall bladder is functioning at 16%.
If I eat anything unhealthy or fattening I pay the price. I have lost 18 lbs because of sticking to the diet… that’s a good thing. In the past, I had not been able to eat eggs… they would make me violently ill.
Now I crave eggs…sunny side up… I HAVE to eat them!
It’s almost 3am and I just got out of the bed to fry myself 4 eggs. So weird! Any clues?
I grew up on a farm and had eggs every day. I love eggs cooked all different ways. Although my doctor wants to argue that I should not eat eggs, I have told him it is my body and I will eat what I want. Well, I eat about three eggs a day with fried mushrooms and cheese. I have always had some cholesterol problems, but not bad.
Not to brag, but nobody who asks me my age believes me when I tell them that I am close to 73 years of age. Most people think I am in my early 50s. My skin is young in appearance and I feel good even though I have diabetes, but the numbers are never high. I will continue to consume eggs as I have done for more than 70s years almost daily. I even love them at night before you go to bed fi you hard boil them and sprinkle lots of pepper on them.
I usually fry or scramble them in unsaturated fat cooking oil. I am not about to stop because some young nutritionist tells me they are harmful. God knows that they may not even live to be my age as most of them are in their 30s. Their studies makes no sense. I usually am not hungry until late afternoon when I eat a light snack. I am sick of one group saying they are bad for you when they are so good and healthy.