Egg is one of the most nutritious food on the planet.
An egg contains all the nutrients needed to turn a single cell into a chicken.
However, eggs have been badly known because of the high cholesterol in the yolk.
In fact, a medium sized egg contains cholesterol, accounting for 62% of the recommended daily food intake.
It is believed that if you eat cholesterol, it will raise blood cholesterol and contribute to heart disease. But it turned out not simply that. The more cholesterol you eat, the less cholesterol your body will produce.
Let me explain how it works.
How your body adjusts cholesterol levels
often considered a negative word. Just listen to it, we automatically start thinking about medicines, heart attacks and premature deaths.
But the truth is that cholesterol is a very important part of the body. It is a structural molecule that holds an essential place in the cell membrane.
It is also used to make steroid hormones like estrogen and cortisol.
Without cholesterol, we won't even exist.
Based on the incredible importance of cholesterol, the body has evolved into complex ways to ensure that we have enough of it in people.
Since cholesterol cannot always be obtained from the diet, the liver itself produces cholesterol. But when we eat a lot of cholesterol-rich foods, the liver starts producing less .
Therefore, the total amount of cholesterol in the body varies very little (if not unchanged at all), instead of coming from the liver, it now comes from diet .
Crux: The liver can produce a lot of cholesterol. When we eat a lot of eggs (high cholesterol), the liver produces less.
What happens when people eat a few eggs a day?
For decades, it has been advised to limit egg intake or at least eat only egg yolk (whites are mostly protein and low in cholesterol).
General recommendations include eating up to 2-6 egg whites per week. However, the scientific community does not really support this limitation .
Fortunately, we have some excellent research that can make us feel calm.
In these studies, people were divided into two groups, one group ate many eggs (1-3 fruits) each day, the other group ate other things (like egg substitutes). The researchers then followed them for several weeks / months.
These studies show that:
- In most cases, HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) increases .
- Total cholesterol and LDL levels are usually unchanged, but sometimes they also increase slightly .
- Eating omega-3-rich eggs can reduce blood triglyceride levels, another important causative factor .
- Content of blood carotenoid antioxidants such as Lutein and Zeaxanthin increased significantly .
It seems that the reaction to egg consumption depends on each person.
In 70% of people, it has no effect on total cholesterol or LDL. However, in 30% of people (called "fast-responders"), these indicators have increased slightly .
However, I think this is not a problem. Studies show that eggs turn small LDL molecules, which are large into LDL .
Those with mostly There is a lower risk of heart disease. Therefore, even if the egg slightly raises LDL and LDL cholesterol levels, this is not a cause of concern .
Science has shown that eating up to 3 eggs a day is perfectly safe for healthy people who want to stay healthy.
Crux: Eggs always increase HDL cholesterol ("good"). 70% of people studied did not see an increase in total cholesterol or LDL. There may be a slight increase in a benign subtype LDL in some people.
The relationship between eggs and heart disease
Many studies have looked at egg consumption and the risk of heart disease.
All of these studies are called observational studies, where many people are followed for years.
Later, researchers used statistical methods to find out if certain habits (such as diet, smoking or exercise) are related to the risk of disease or disease reduction. .
Some of these studies observe hundreds of thousands of people, who always show that people who eat whole eggs are less likely to develop heart disease. Some studies show a reduction in stroke risk .
However, one thing worth noting is that these studies show that people with diabetes eat eggs with a higher risk of heart disease .
Whether or not eggs cause an increased risk of disease in people with diabetes is unknown. These types of studies show correlations and it is possible that on average, people with diabetes eat eggs less likely to have health knowledge than those who do not.
This may also depend on the rest of the diet. In the diet low-carb Low carbohydrate (so far the best diet for diabetes), eggs help improve the factors that cause heart disease .
Crux: Many observational studies show that people who eat eggs are not at risk for heart disease, but some other studies show an increased risk of diabetes.
Eggs also have many other health benefits
Don't forget that eggs are not only related to cholesterol, they also contain lots of nutrients and many other impressive benefits:
- They contain lots of Lutein and Zeaxanthin, antioxidants that reduce the risk of eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts .
- They contain very high levels of choline, a brain nutrient that over 90% of people lack .
- They have high levels of animal protein with many benefits - including increased muscle mass and increased bone health .
- Studies show that eggs increase satiety and help you lose weight .
Eggs also have great taste and are easy to prepare.
So even if eggs have mild side effects on blood cholesterol levels (which don't have that), the benefits of eating them are far greater than the negative effects.
Crux: Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. They contain important nutrients for the brain and powerful antioxidants that can protect the eyes.
How much is considered too much?
Unfortunately we do not have any research on people who are fed more than 3 eggs a day.
It is possible that (though not sure) eating more than that may have adverse health effects. It can be said that eating more than 3 eggs a day has not been discovered.
However, I found an interesting case study with just one individual. It was an 88-year-old man consuming 25 eggs a day . He had normal cholesterol and very good health .
Of course, research on one person doesn't prove anything, but it's interesting anyway.
It should also be noted that not all eggs are the same. Most supermarket eggs are from chickens raised in factories and fed with nut food.
Healthy eggs are eggs rich in omega-3 or eggs from chickens raised in grasslands. They contain more omega-3 and fat-soluble vitamins are more important .
In general, eating eggs is absolutely safe even if you eat up to 3 eggs a day. I personally eat 3-6 eggs a day (about 30-40 fruits per week) and my health is better than ever.
With a range of incredible nutrients and enormous health benefits, high quality eggs can be the healthiest food on the planet.
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