On one hand, eggs contain a high amount of cholesterol, yet on the other hand eggs are an excellent source of folic acid, zinc, vitamins, iron and of course protein. So how many eggs should you be eating a week to get all the healthy benefits without raising your cholesterol as well.
For over 40 years, doctors have been warning us that eating too many eggs can raise the risk of heart disease. Researchers now know that these claims are not based on solid scientific research and eggs actually have an important place in a person’s diet. So the questions is should we eat eggs or should we avoid eating eggs?
We have all heard the warnings given about eating too many eggs as they can raise cholesterol levels in the blood thus leading to heart disease. This is slightly true because eggs are rich in cholesterol, yet researchers no know that foods high in cholesterol have little effect on cholesterol in the blood, it is food high in fat that can cause a certain sudden raise in cholesterol levels. Generally the main culprit in high cholesterol levels is trans fatty acids, which can directly cause an elevated risk in heart disease and arteriosclerosis.
Most studies done in the past few years found that there isn’t a direct connection between eating many eggs a week and cases in heart disease.
Although eggs do contain a large amount of cholesterol, they are a rich source of protein, zinc and vitamins A and B12, folic acid, and iron. On top of this eggs contain a relatively low amount of saturated fat.
Most of the vitamins are contained in the egg yolk, while egg whites are cholesterol free.
It’s all about balance
Today, many dieticians recognize that eating patterns are affected by daily routine, and it’s not that people avoid eating foods that are healthy, but it is just much easier to get fast food. This fact has been taken by the American Heart Association as more of a threat to obesity levels and heart disease than eggs do. So in fact, it is has been recognized that it is not eggs that are at fault for the ever growing levels of heart disease, but poor diet.
Dieticians recommend eating a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruit, fish, olive oil, whole grains as well as a bit of physical activity to maintain normal weight and proper health.
In the last year there was one study that showed that people who ate and extremely excessive amount of eggs per week had higher mortality rates, the link is not exactly clear, but the researchers think that those who ate excessive amounts of eggs also maintained a poor diet as well and did little or no physical activity.
Eggs and diabetes
There are many articles claiming that eggs can raise the risks of type 2 diabetes in adults. Researchers took other factors into consideration such as weight, physical activity, family medical history, and eating habits. Most researchers agree that more research is required on this subject because there need to be more test mad such as exact quantity of eggs eaten per week and per meal as well as the cooking method used to prepare eggs.
It seems that eggs can be part of a healthy diet; it is just the amount of eggs that is in question when it comes to the health risks of eating eggs. The American Heart Association recommends that you should eat no more than 300mg of cholesterol per day, therefore, try to only eat 1-2 eggs per day to avoid eating too much cholesterol. Also remember that there are many other foods that contain eggs such as ma to avoid eating too much cholesterol. Also remember that there are many other foods that contain eggs such as mayonnaise, which should be counted into your daily cholesterol totals.
To be on the safe side, try eating 3-4 eggs a week if you are worried about cholesterol levels, this way you will be on the safe side of things.
Daily egg allowances for seniors and children
When it comes to children, those children who are not obese are allowed to eat one egg a day. Only of the child’s family has a history of high cholesterol you may want to limit the amount of eggs eaten weekly to 3 eggs per week.
Now what about the elderly?
Seniors are generally concerned about their cholesterol levels, and because of this it is better to only eat a few eggs a week as the body is not as strong as it used to be when they were younger. Another factor to remember is that when the body ages, the amount of daily calories needed declines, so it is important to get the highest amount of nutritional benefits from their diet as possible. Eating eggs can definitely help an elderly person’s health if eaten in moderation, as they are an excellent source of protein and vitamins that will help keep the body strong, and they cheap and an easy to prepare food. Eating eggs can also help deter related macular degeneration.
Clinical studies have shown that the average healthy senior (without diabetes or known heart disease) that ate eggs, did not experience a raise in risk of heart disease. A healthy senior can eat 3-4 eggs a week without worry, and get the great protein benefits of eggs as well.
In conclusion, eating up to 5 eggs a week is alright for the average person, there are people who can eat more and still be healthy as well as there a persons who need to eat less to stay healthy such as seniors, people suffering from diabetes, and persons on a special diet. Eggs are a truly great source of protein, and eating only egg whites is a great way to avoid eating the cholesterol associated with eggs. Try adding eggs to your diet, your body will thank you.