Eggs Are Great And Their Cholesterol Doesn’t Hurt You (For Most)

Eggs do not increase your cholesterol levels and are one of the cheapest & leanest sources of protein on the market. It has gotten a bad rep in the past for being a big culprit in promoting cardiovascular diseases. Fortunately, science prevails as it always has. 

The question is this. Why did it get such a bad reputation? How good is it? How much can I eat a day? How do you beat high cholesterol? I will answer all these questions right here in this article.

Nutrition Content In An Egg

An egg houses a whole plethora of fantastic nutrients that you can never find elsewhere that is so concentrated into one small item and at such a low cost. From the macro perspective, an average egg (~50g) will have around 75 calories, 6.3g of Protein, & 5.3g of Fat.

It also contains antioxidants, essential metals, vitamins, water, and a whole lot more goodness. If you like to see a complete list, here is the entire nutrition content of a 50g egg courtesy of the USDA.

Credits: USDA

The humble egg has so many crucial nutrients that our body craves. Most of the minerals, vitamins, fats & antioxidants are found in the yolk, whereas the white hosts most of the protein content. 

It Got A Bad Reputation Due To Biasness, Lobbying & Misconceptions

Intrinsically, eggs have a high amount of dietary cholesterol, which was thought to be a direct factor in raising our blood cholesterol levels (Low-Density Lipoprotein, LDL) Research has continuously shown that dietary cholesterol has a minimal effect on our blood cholesterol (For most people). 

Early research done in the 70s was not that accurate and the misinterpretation of research made it worse. Adding to that, the sugar industry was also lobbying the US government to turn its attention towards dietary fats as the enemy. 

With that, it cascaded down the proverbial food pyramid. Health trends promoted low-fat diets; the government established the food pyramid putting fat as the least wanted macronutrient. All of that accumulated till the early 2000s when new research has shown that a high-sugar diet is a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality. Only certain fats like trans-fat (which is outright banned in all foods), saturated fats and high sodium intake are what are driving more cancer risks, higher blood pressure and an increase in all-cause mortality in the general population. 

Credits: Havard

You Can Eat As Many As You Need (Or As Advised By Your Doctor)

If you maintain proper levels of saturated fat (30g max a day) and hit all the macro goals you need in a day, you are all set. Some people only eat 1, some 10 a day. Vegetarians for example might have more eggs per day to hit their protein goals. An elite bodybuilder might just eat 2 because he/she consumes most of it from meat or supplementation. 

In short, follow the recommended guidelines by the Health Promotion Board, your doctor and yourself – by listening to your body. 

Beat High Cholesterol By Exercising, Eating A Balanced Diet & Stop Your Vices

Go for a run, train your strength, pack some muscle, sprint, jump, swim and stay active all day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year till forever. Exercising is not a chore but a quintessential part of life. 

Introduce more fibre into your diet. Consume more green leafy vegetables, nuts & fruits. This also keeps your gut microbiome healthy and ready to defend your body from any threats. 

References:

Fernandez, M. L., & Murillo, A. G. (2022, May 23). Is there a correlation between dietary and blood cholesterol? evidence from epidemiological data and clinical interventions. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9143438/ 

Myers, M., & Ruxton, S. (2023). Eggs: Healthy or Risky? A Review of Evidence from High Quality Studies on Hen’s Eggs. Nutrients, 15(12), 2657–2657. ‌https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10304460/

Brent Wong