The Facts About Eggs
Saturday, June 19th, 2010A desired breakfast selection, eggs, have had a bad reputation as a consequence of levels of cholesterol. But the fact is, eggs just don’t raise blood cholesterol in the majority of people, and they may even be good for your heart in various ways.
You may be amazed to find that dietary cholesterol, found in animal foods, increases cholesterol levels in only about 1/3 of people. And, as determined by some studies on eggs, dietary cholesterol causes the body to produce Good (HDL) cholesterol along with LDL (bad) cholesterol in these “hyper-responders,” thereby assisting to offset potential adverseeffects. Even more , the LDL particles that form are bigger in size – and bigger LDL particles are considered to be less life-threatening than smaller ones. In studies at the University of Connecticut, consuming three eggs per day for about one month increased cholesterol in susceptible people, but their LDL particles were bigger, and there was no change in the ratio between the good and bad cholesterol, which suggests no major change in risk to the hear .
More importantly , eggs do not seem to lend to heart disease in most people. A critical thought changing study from Harvard in the late 90′s found no association between heart disease and eggs, except in people with diabetes. Studies since then have similarly vindicated eggs. The unsaturated fats and other nutrients, including B vitamins, in eggs may be favorable for heart health.
Cholesterol and New Advice
In light of these findings, suggestions related to eggs have changed over time , and cholesterol guidelines, in general, are being reevaluated. Though eggs are high in cholesterol – 210 milligrams in a large egg yolk, the American Heart Association has no specific threshold on how many eggs you can consume, as long as you limit your total cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams daily, on average (200 MG if you have heart disease, high cholesterol or other heart risk factors).
Lots of researchers believe that the AHA guidelines are too restrictive, and endorse a higher daily threshold for cholesterol for healthy people. A more reasonable goal is 500 mg per day (but still 200 mg if you have risk factors for heart disease, including diabetes). That would allow for one egg a day, two on some days, and still leave room for other sources of cholesterol.
Seattle Fitness Trainer, Maria Faires, RD, has been lecturing about the beneficial properties of eggs to her customers for many years . ”Eggs have all 9 essential amino acids making them one of the greatest sources of high quality protein and not as dangerous to heart health hears as previously thought.”, says Maria, who frequently creates quick and easy egg recipes for her web site.
Good for your eyes, and maybe your waistline too!
Egg yolks are a fabulous source of antioxidants related to beta carotene that may help keep eyes healthy and have also been connected to a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration. While your mom might have been telling you to ease up on the eggs for a while now, you may now be getting modified, and more precise suggestions from your weight loss expert.
There is some evidence that eggs promote satiety, due partially to their protein. In a new study in Nutrition Research, when the people being studied ate scrambled eggs for breakfast, they felt fuller subsequently and consumed considerably fewer calories over the remainder of the day, compared to when they ate a typical english muffin breakfast with the same number of calories.
Of course,it is critical for you to find a physician and schedule routine visits to test your cholesterol, especially if you were diagnosed as having high cholesterol.
