Breaking the Egg Myth: Does It Raise Cholesterol?

Dr Carlos  Health Expert

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

  -Mark Twain        

     The egg controversy dates back to the early 1970's, right around the time when cholesterol became a bad word in most health circles. At that time long-term studies of large populations began showing that high levels of cholesterol increased people's risk of heart disease and heart attack. This was a prime example of where sometimes a little information is perhaps worse than none at all. 

     The assumption back then was that if a food is high in cholesterol, it must raise the cholesterol in our bodies. Well the reality is that this could not be further from the truth. What we have found in the decades following is that junk foods including fried foods, trans fats, and artificial colors, sweeteners, and flavorings were the true culprits as to the cholesterol dilemma. So much for all the margarine we used to spread on our bagels back then. That stuff is higher in heart-blocking trans fats than just about any other food!

   
     Back to the egg, we are looking at nature's near-perfect food. Loaded with protein, B vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, as you will see below, eggs are hardly deserving of a bad wrap. And for you egg-white-only types, the majority of the good nutrition is in the yolk. If you are on a low-fat diet, don't worry either. The yolk contains healthy types of fats that will not clog your arteries, unless of course you're frying in bacon grease or lard. 

     Finally, my particular preference is to look for free-range/cage-free chicken eggs. My experience with these has been that the yolks are richer and tastier and the shells are much stronger than the more mass-produced eggs on the market. It's also my belief that free-range animal products are a more environmentally healthy and sustainable form of food production for all of us.

    
     So please enjoy your eggs any way you like. Over easy, scrambled, or poached eggs will provide you a powerful start to your day.  Just take a look below at how you will benefit from each one you eat.

Healthiest regards!

Nutrient Content of a Large Egg

Nutrient (unit) Whole Egg: Egg White Egg Yolk

Calories (kcal) 72

Protein (g) 6.29

Carbohydrate (g) 0.39

Total fat (g) 4.97

Monounsaturated fat (g) 1.905

Saturated fat (g) 1.55

Choline (mg) 125.5

Lutein & Zeaxanthin (mcg) 166

Vitamin A (IU) 244

Vitamin D (IU) 18

Vitamin E (mg) 0.48

Vitamin B6 (mg) 0.071

Vitamin B12 (mcg) 0.65

Folate (mcg) 24

Thiamin (mg) 0.035

Riboflavin (mg) 0.239

Calcium (mg) 26

Sodium (mg) 70

Potassium (mg) 67

Magnesium (mg) 6

Iron (mg) 0.92

Zinc (mg) 0.56

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference