Photo: Anna Pou

Is eating 3 eggs a day too many?

amdietetics.com - How many eggs is it safe to eat? - AM Dietetics

Why shouldn't you keep cucumbers in the fridge?

According to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences - Cucumbers should be stored at room temperature – not in the fridge....

Last updated May 27, 2022

Is Thousand Island dressing the same as cocktail sauce?

It's worth noting that thousand island dressing is pretty similar to Marie Rose sauce, sometimes called seafood sauce or cocktail sauce in the UK....

Last updated Sep 26, 2021

Promotion

by Anne Myers-Wright RD/APD

Posted on Feb 8, 01:45 PM in Health and Well Being and Weight Concerns. No comments. When they coined the phrase, “good things come in small packages”, they definitely must have been thinking about eggs. When it comes to nutritional value, eggs are action-packed with good quality protein, vitamins, minerals and healthy omega -3 fats. Despite this, the health benefits and risks of eating eggs have been debated for many years. The elephant in the room has always been that a single large egg contains around 187mg of cholesterol.

The Cholesterol Issue

In the past, we were told to restrict the number of eggs we eat in a day, because people thought that foods high in cholesterol raised blood cholesterol, leading to heart disease. In fact, in most healthy people, eating more dietary cholesterol has little effect on blood cholesterol levels. Most cholesterol in the blood is actually made by the liver. The liver has a clever way of balancing how much cholesterol is in your blood by producing more or less depending on how much is coming from your food. Saturated and trans-fats in the diet have a bigger impact on blood cholesterol. An egg contains only about 1.5 g of saturated fat and no trans-fat at all.

How many eggs are safe?

The CSIRO in Australia (1), has shown that if eggs are eaten daily (2 eggs a day over 12 weeks) as part of a kilojoule controlled weight loss diet there are no negative effects on cholesterol levels. Similarly, a number of US studies (2) have shown that when 3 eggs a day are included in the diet there is even an improvement in blood cholesterol profiles because of the healthy omega 3 fat content. There have been some questions around egg intake for people with Type 2 Diabetes. A new study published in December last year (3) showed that for people with Type 2 Diabetes, including two eggs a day in the diet over twelve weeks had no negative impact on cholesterol levels. So it looks like at least 2-3 eggs per day is safe to eat.

What’s the catch?

Three eggs a day is perfectly fine to eat, but it is important to look at the rest of the diet. If your background diet is high in saturated fat this can affect the degree to which blood cholesterol is increased when more dietary cholesterol is eaten. The key here is, therefore, to make sure that your eggs are being eaten as part of a healthy diet that’s also low in saturated fat.

Summary

Eggs are a wonderful source of nutrition. Two to three eggs a day can be safely eaten as long as they are eaten as part of a healthy diet.

References:

1. Australians’ usual egg consumption. Analysis of the CSIRO Healthy Diet Score 2016. Prepared by: Gilly Hendrie, Danielle Baird, and Manny Noakes 2. DiMarco DM et al. 2017. Intake of up to 3 Eggs/Day Increases HDL Cholesterol and Plasma Choline While Plasma Trimethylamine-N-oxide is Unchanged in a Healthy Population .Lipids 3. Njike VY et al. 2016. Egg ingestion in adults with type 2 diabetes: effects on glycemic control, anthropometry, and diet quality-a randomized, controlled, crossover trial. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. Dec 22;4(1)

What carbs cause hairloss?

Sugar — perhaps the most widely consumed simple carbohydrate — has been linked with androgenetic alopecia [4-5]. This type of hair loss — also...

Last updated Nov 7, 2020

How much weight can you gain from one cheat day?

But if on a cheat day, you decide to eat and drink whatever you want and load up to 300 grams of carbohydrates (the average number of carbs eaten...

Last updated Jan 1, 2019

Promotion

Is 7 eggs a week OK?

Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without affecting their heart health. Some choose to eat only the egg white and not the yolk, which provides some protein without the cholesterol.

mayoclinichealthsystem.org - Is it healthy to eat eggs every day? - Mayo Clinic Health System

Eggs have been in the news a lot — again. It seems like every few years, questions arise about these meals in a shell. Are they good or bad for you? What about their protein and cholesterol?

Looking at the nutritional breakdown, one egg contains roughly 75 calories, 5 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, 0 carbohydrates, 67 milligrams of potassium, 70 grams of sodium and 210 milligrams of cholesterol. Eggs are also a great source of vitamins A, D and B12, as well as choline, which is a nutrient that's essential in many steps of metabolism. Except for its cholesterol content, one egg is a healthy option for breakfast lunch or dinner. Research shows that the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to negatively affect the human body compared to other sources of cholesterol. For example, eggs typically are eaten with other foods high in salt, saturated fat and cholesterol, such as bacon, cheese and butter. These foods are known to increase the risk of heart disease, and they should be eaten sparingly. Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without affecting their heart health. Some choose to eat only the egg white and not the yolk, which provides some protein without the cholesterol.

Here's how eggs stack up nutritionally in dishes that feature eggs:

Calories Fat

(grams) Protein

(grams) Sodium

(milligrams) Cholesterol

(milligrams) 2 Scrambled Egg Whites 34 0 7 110 0 2 Fried Eggs 184 14 12 94 420 Denny's Western Omelette 700 46 38 2,180 760 McDonald's Big Breakfast 760 48 28 1,530 485 Eggs can be a good addition to a healthy, well-balanced diet. Just watch out for those high-calorie, high-fat extras like cheese, bacon and butter.

Anne Harguth is a dietitian in Waseca, Minnesota.

Is bacon clean keto?

Foods to eat on clean keto High fat protein sources: grass-fed beef, chicken thighs, salmon, tuna, shellfish, eggs, bacon (in moderation), full fat...

Last updated Sep 12, 2020

Are tomato skins good for you?

According to a scientific study, the peels are a great source of antioxidants (specifically flavonoids, phenolic acids, lycopene, and ascorbic...

Last updated Apr 12, 2022

Promotion

Can I have a Coke on keto?

Drinks You Should Try to Avoid on the Keto Diet Avoid sweetened drinks like regular soda and fruit juice (even 100 percent juice), which are packed...

Last updated May 7, 2022

Promotion

What times should you eat on keto?

It's common for people to pair the keto diet with intermittent fasting, usually 16:8, which means someone only eats during an 8-hour window each...

Last updated Jul 29, 2018