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Eggs: Friend or foe?

It's safe to say that most people wouldn't look at a chocolate Easter bunny or a cream-filled egg and think they're making a healthy choice but, depending on who you ask, you may have heard that whole eggs, or the yolks in particular, are an equally
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It's safe to say that most people wouldn't look at a chocolate Easter bunny or a cream-filled egg and think they're making a healthy choice but, depending on who you ask, you may have heard that whole eggs, or the yolks in particular, are an equally unhealthy choice at Easter, or anytime.

In fact, eggs are a nutrition powerhouse; the yolk contains Vitamins A, D, E, and B12, riboflavin, selenium and folate and about 5 grams of fat and the white is a good source of high quality protein. So with all this beneficial nutrition, how did they gain such a bad reputation?

In 1968, the American Heart Association put forth recommendations that all individuals should consume no more than three whole eggs per week because high dietary cholesterol equals high blood cholesterol, which equals cardiovascular disease. This recommendation was simple and easy to understand and as a result, egg consumption declined.

Years later, it was decided that the research which formed the basis for these recommendations was flawed, for three significant reasons.

First, animal studies were often using herbivores which were more sensitive to dietary cholesterol compared to omnivores (think, rabbit versus dog).

Second, studies using animals often required the administration of very high levels of dietary cholesterol in order to produce a response.

Third, data from the 1960s and 1970s relied on simple correlation analyses to show associations; other nutrients such as saturated and trans fat, which were also present in the test foods, were not considered as potential contributors to cholesterol levels in the body. Instead, cholesterol was misidentified as the sole nutrient responsible for high blood cholesterol, and believed to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Since eggs are a source of dietary cholesterol, they were made to be the bad guy.

Current research now gives us a better picture of how much dietary cholesterol is actually being absorbed by our bodies, which seems to be less than these early studies concluded.

To take a step back and understand the basis for the fear of cholesterol, it's important to know what dietary cholesterol actually is. Dietary cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in animal foods including meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and milk products. Cholesterol is also a part of your body's cells, helping you to make certain necessary hormones. Cholesterol is not an essential nutrient in the diet since your liver can make what it needs.

While dietary cholesterol from foods such as egg yolks can contribute to high blood cholesterol levels and high cholesterol levels are a risk factor for heart disease, that does not automatically mean that egg yolks need to be avoided in the diet. As well, foods that contain saturated and trans fat have more of an impact on increasing blood cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol does.

In an effort to reduce fat, calories and cholesterol, some may decide to toss the egg yolk in favour of the white, but doing so would mean you would also be losing out on the valuable nutrients contained in the yolk. Also, if you're purchasing eggs with omega-3 fat, you would As with most foods, eggs can be eaten in moderation, especially when limiting other foods with saturated fat (such as red meat) and trans fat (such as commercially baked goods). A healthy person who does not have high blood cholesterol, diabetes or a history of heart disease can eat one whole egg per day. Eating an average of one egg per day will not increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. If you have high blood cholesterol, diabetes or heart disease, it's best to limit your intake to no more than two whole eggs per week, while also limiting your intake of foods high in cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat.

Kelsey Leckovic is a registered dietitian with Northern Health working in chronic disease management.