The debate about eggs has gone back and forth like a ping pong game with no clear winner for decades. It’s to the point where reasonable people don’t know what to think (Lopez-Jimenez, 2020). Should we eat eggs or not? 

In my opinion, most people should not be afraid of eating eggs. No matter your ethnic heritage, your ancestors ate eggs. For millennia, our bodies have recognized eggs as a valuable source of whole food nutrition. 

Why the confusion?

The confusion over eating eggs dates back over 50 years. The FDA and other nutrition experts began to blame rising rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease on fats and cholesterol. The theory was called the lipid hypothesis. Suddenly, eggs for breakfast were unhealthy.  This news came as quite a shock to my grandparents who were farmers in the Midwest. To their credit, they never gave up eggs for breakfast and never switched to margarine. To learn more about the politics behind how a hypothesis turned into an unassailable truth, I recommend  Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food. 

Once the government declared war on fats, industry fell in line.  We began to see hyphenated package descriptions such as low-fat, fat-free, and low-cholesterol. In 1968 the American Heart Association recommended Americans not eat more than 3 eggs per week (Réhault-Godbert et al, 2019). 

The problem is that good science is a process. Sometimes a theory that looks promising, is later disproven or called into question.  When it comes to nutritional policy, it is difficult to disentangle government scientists from industry interests. Once big food companies formulate their products to match government thinking, getting them to switch back is difficult and costly. Add in the problem of paid lobbyists and you have the potential for bad nutrition policy. Once an idea gets entrenched, it can take health organizations like the American Health Association decades to change their thinking. 

For years, many nutritionists as well as lipid scientists have questioned the science behind the lipid hypothesis. They were skeptical that dietary fats and cholesterol were driving our health epidemics.  For decades people have shied away from eggs and been afraid of fats and yet Amercans are sicker than ever.  While there are many talented scientists working at the FDA, the agency is like an enormous barge that can’t easily change direction.

To complicate matters, in 1992 the USDA came out with the famous food pyramid as a tool to help people figure out a healthy style of eating. The base of the pyramid consisted of grains and carbohydrates. The suggestion was to eat 6-11 servings of carbohydrates daily. Fats were at the top of the pyramide and were to be avoided as much as possible.  High fat, high protein breakfasts made way for cereal and skim milk. Our country is sicker and fatter than ever and part of the reason lies with urging people to eat more carbs and to fear fats and cholesterol. 

What does current science have to say about eating eggs? 

In a recent study looking at the nutritional benefits of eating eggs, the authors state “most experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies concluded that there was no evidence of a correlation between dietary cholesterol brought by eggs and an increase in plasma total cholesterol” (Réhault-Godbert et al., 2019) Prior to the lipid hypothesis, people ate more saturated fat and high cholesterol foods than they do today, but heart disease was far less common (Shanahan, 2016 p.128).

If people worry about consuming fats and cholesterol-rich foods,  they miss out on many nutrient-dense foods needed for good health.  Instead, they chose processed foods such as breakfast cereals believing they are heart-healthy. Certain vitamins such as A, K, E, and D are only absorbed in fats. Furthermore, fats give us a sense of satiety or fullness as well as provide a delicious flavor. Who doesn’t like butter on toast? Furthermore, our brains are 60% fat. 

Some thoughts on cholesterol: 

• It’s vitally important to our health 

• Cholesterol is the backbone of many hormones, especially sex hormones

• Most circulating cholesterol is made in the liver 

• Cholesterol gives structure to our cell membranes  

• But doesn’t cholesterol lead to plaque buildup?

When cholesterol contributes to plaque build-up in the cardiovascular system, it is probably in response to a problem rather than being the cause. Since cholesterol is waxy, it makes a great  “band-aid” for damaged blood vessels.  The real culprit is probably a high sugar diet, inflammatory vegetable oils (that aren’t a natural part of of our food supply), as well as high stress, low exercise, and a highly-processed diet 

Eggs are a rich source of cholesterol, containing over 180 milligrams. Some experts recommend no more than 300 milligrams a day, which would make having scrambled eggs a couple of times a week problematic. Large-scale epidemiological studies over the years have failed to find a strong connection between eating eggs and heart disease (Blesso & Fernandez, 2018). 

Many people have sought to compromise on the egg debate by eating egg whites, which are a good source of protein. I’d argue that for most people, eating only egg whites is a shame because they are missing out on other valuable nutrients. An egg cannot simply be reduced down to the fact that it contains 7 grams of protein. An egg is a wondrous storehouse of nutrients. 

Healthy benefits of eating the whole egg:

• Healthy fats. Great for growing brains and supporting brain health. (Shanahan, 2016)

• Lutein. Lutein is a carotenoid. It helps to give the yolk its yellow color. Lutein is used by the retina and must be obtained through the diet. Lutein helps with a variety of eye diseases including macular degeneration, diabetic neuropathy, and cataracts (Li, et al. 2020)

• Lecithin. Lecithin is a type of lipid or fat, known as a phospholipid. Phospholipids are fats that contain phosphate and they are critical to forming healthy cell membranes. 

• Vitamins. Eggs contain most of them except for C.

• Choline: Important for proper neurotransmitter function as well as brain development 

• Minerals such as calcium, copper, magnesium, iodine & manganese 

• 550 distinct proteins; We are still learning the benefits of many of these unique proteins. 

• Antioxidant compounds 

• Antimicrobial compounds (Réhault-Godbert et al, 2019)

Does it matter if the egg is free-range? 

In a word, yes! That being said, free-range eggs are more expensive. If you can’t afford them, don't stress because caged chickens are fed key synthetic vitamins and minerals.  

Personally, I prefer to eat eggs from animals that derive their nutrients as nature intended --  by running around outside, eating the foods preferred by chickens, and getting exposure to the sun. Caged chickens suffer a great deal. They are also exposed to feces, pollution, and antibiotics (Lawrence, 2016)

Final thoughts

Most people would benefit from eating eggs. Unless you have an egg allergy, they are inexpensive, easy to prepare, and a wonderful source of protein and other valuable nutrients. It’s easy to add veggies to an omelet or to top off yesterday's leftovers with a tasty fried egg. Your ancestors did not eat highly processed, high-carb breakfast cereals and bars and neither should you. 

Sources: 

Blesso, C. N., & Fernandez, M. L. (2018). Dietary Cholesterol, Serum Lipids, and Heart Disease: Are Eggs Working for or Against You?. Nutrients, 10(4), 426. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10040426

Lawrence, F. (2016) If consumers knew how farmed chickens were raised, they might never eat their meat again. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/24/real-cost-of-roast-chicken-animal-welfare-farms

Li, L. H., Lee, J. C., Leung, H. H., Lam, W. C., Fu, Z., & Lo, A. (2020). Lutein Supplementation for Eye Diseases. Nutrients, 12(6), 1721. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061721

Lopez-Jimenez, F. (2020). Eggs:Are They Good or Bad for My Cholesterol? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol/faq-20058468

Réhault-Godbert, S., Guyot, N., & Nys, Y. (2019). The Golden Egg: Nutritional Value, Bioactivities, and Emerging Benefits for Human Health. Nutrients, 11(3), 684. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu11030684

Shanahan, C.. (2016) Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Foods. Flatiron Books: New York. 

Disclaimer

 

The included information is not meant to or should not be used to replace or substitute medical treatment, recommendations, or the advice of your physician or health care provider. The information contained within is strictly for educational purposes and is based on evidence-based nutrition. If you believe you have a medical problem or condition, please contact your physician or healthcare provider