Eggs: The Truth About Eating Eggs Every Day

How tired are you of hearing about EGGS? The perfect protein; an easy snack; seventy-five ways to prepare an egg; Eggs, Eggs, EGGS!

Even if you like them, you can get tired of them! Right?

Recently, I had a patient tell me I was irresponsible to tell him to eat an egg every day because everyone knows you are only supposed to have three a week. I started asking around and discovered a lot of my patients were concerned about eating too many eggs.

It is very confusing, so I’m going to try to set the record straight!

Thirty plus years ago, the research showed that high cholesterol levels in the blood were bad and led to the build-up of plaque in the blood vessels that could result in a heart attack or stroke. At the time, it was believed that cholesterol in food increased cholesterol in blood. Eggs were known to be one of the highest sources of dietary cholesterol (186 mg cholesterol in 1 large egg), so the recommendation was to limit the numbers of eggs consumed.

Fast forward to present day, improved research shows that a high saturated fat diet (fat in meat products and foods fried in unhealthy fats) will increase blood cholesterol more than foods with natural cholesterol in them.

The fat in eggs is primarily unsaturated, so even though it contains dietary cholesterol, the type of fat that increases blood cholesterol is low. The fat in a greasy cheeseburger, fried chicken with skin or sandwich with bacon and cheese is more likely to cause heart disease than eggs.

In addition, more recent studies show that high LDL, fiber and sugar intake, obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance and genetics play a greater role in determining if an individual is more or less likely to have heart disease or plaque build-up in blood vessels.

So, based on current research, eating an egg a day is okay for most people. If you are concerned about your risk of heart disease or the amount of saturated fat you are eating, talk to your dietitian about making some changes.

If you really are just SICK of eggs, ask your dietitian to help you come up with some other ideas. I have one patient who has made up a schedule to ensure she gets in extra protein every day.

• Monday: Greek yogurt
• Tuesday: Scrambled egg
• Wednesday: Oatmeal with whey protein and applesauce
• Thursday: Boiled egg
• Friday: Greek yogurt
• Saturday: Cream of Wheat with whey protein and blueberries
• Sunday: Two beef patties on a hamburger bun

Would a schedule help you? Whatever it takes!

Happy eating….

Shelley