Eggs are good for the heart

Contents

1 Myth: Eggs raise cholesterol

Myth: Eggs raise cholesterol

Do eggs have a lot of cholesterol?

Eggs are foods very high in cholesterol (especially the yolk), and for many years they have been banned in people wit high bad cholesterol problems, obesity or bad circulation.

Hard-boiled egg — Photo of a hard-boiled egg. Eggs are a healthy food.

Currently, many studies have shown that egg consumption does not increase cholesterol or cardiovascular risk.

Cardiovascular risk is a percentage that estimates the probability that a person has of suffering a heart attack in the next 10 years of life.

It is calculated based on different parameters, such as diet, physical activity, obesity, smoking, etc.

Is it good to remove the yolk from the egg yolk?

Until recently, it was recommended to remove the egg yolk, which is rich in cholesterol. However, for healthy people, it’s better not to do it because removing the yolk results in the loss of protein (the protein value of the food decreases) and vitamins.

The egg is a well-known food rich in protein. Although most egg proteins are found in the white, egg yolk contains 40% of the total egg proteins. So removing it reduces the protein value of this food. In addition, in the yolk there are a large amount of nutrients, such as essential fatty acids, choline, vitamin E, iron, etc.

Do eggs harm heart health?

Eating eggs does not harm heart health. Research indicates that egg consumption does not increase cardiovascular risk and may even be beneficial for the heart, in addition to being a highly nutritious food.

Benefits of eggs for cardiovascular health

Eating eggs is not only not bad for the heart, but it also offers health benefits:

It significantly increases blood levels of phospholipids, essential fatty acids, vitamin A, choline and antioxidants (mainly carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin).
All of these components help improve overall body and heart health.
For these reasons, eggs are advisable in any healthy diet.
It is recommended to accompany them with salad or plenty of vegetables: vegetable cream, grated carrot with lemon, steamed broccoli,… The vegetables will provide all the vitamin C and fiber that the egg lacks.

How many eggs is it recommended to eat per week?

Healthy individuals can eat between four and seven eggs per week, or more, depending on their diet. According to studies, up to one egg per day can be consumed without increasing cardiovascular risk or raising cholesterol levels.

Who is advised to monitor their egg consumption?

Egg consumption should be reduced in cases of familial hypercholesterolemia and obesity. In these cases, it would be prudent to limit consumption to a maximum of about 4 eggs per week, depending on the diet (consult a nutritionist dietitian).

People with high cholesterol can eat eggs because the body is able to balance the cholesterol it produces (endogenous cholesterol) with the cholesterol it ingests from the diet (exogenous cholesterol).

What’s the best way to cook eggs?

It is recommended to eat the egg boiled or in an omelet, with little oil.
Fried eggs are not recommended. Frying them or subjecting them to very high temperatures deteriorates the quality of the yolk’s fats and destroys its antioxidants.
Farm eggs are recommended because they have a better fat profile, meaning the type of fat they contain is more unsaturated.