Yes, Eat Your Eggs Whole!

We have been warned away from eating whole eggs for many years now . We were made to believe that the only healthy part of the egg was the egg white and that consuming egg yolk could increase risk of heart disease. This claim was based on some facts and some assumptions.

• One whole medium egg has 185mg of cholesterol, 5g of fat and provides about 70 calories (fact). 
• The cholesterol and fat comes entirely from the egg yolk (fact). 
• All dietary cholesterol increases cholesterol levels in the blood (assumption), which in turn can increase the risk of heart disease.
• Egg white provides only 17 calories. It is very rich in protein and contains no fat and no cholesterol (fact). 

Hence it was said that eating whole eggs raises blood cholesterol levels and increases heart disease risk. So, we should restrict eating eggs, avoid egg yolks and eat only egg whites (MYTH).

Nutritionists and other health professionals, including me, now believe that egg yolk is not really as bad as it was made out to be. 

An average medium sized egg contains about 70 calories. But it also provides about 6g of protein, nearly 13% of daily protein requirement. The interesting thing is that nearly half this protein comes from the yolk. The white from one egg has about 3.6g of protein. Egg yolks have cholesterol and fat but they also are a source of many other nutrients important for our health. Egg yolk is a source of vitamin B, vitamin A, selenium, iron and zinc. It is also a source of choline which plays a very important role in fetal brain development.  Egg yolks also contain certain forms of carotenoids that could prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related blindness. These nutrients are present in egg whites too, but in very negligible amounts. Egg yolk is a source of vitamin D - it is one of the few foods that contain vitamin D. We, especially in the Northwest should try and get in as much as vitamin D as possible from our diet since we don’t receive that much with the sun’s help (not with this weather in the spring!).

There is no recommendation as such for the number of eggs to eat per day. But the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, recommends limiting cholesterol consumption to 300mg/day. A recent study by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) showed that, compared to levels in 2002, the amount of cholesterol in a single large egg has decreased by 14% and amount of Vitamin D has increased by 64%. American Heart Association recommends people with heart disease to limit egg yolk consumption to 2 per week.

It is important to be aware of the food items that we frequently eat with eggs, such as bacon, cheese, sausage, biscuits, type and amount of oil used for frying. Saturated fat from these foods could raise the blood cholesterol level and thus contribute to heart disease risk.  A medium egg has only 1.4g of saturated fat, but accompanying foods such as bacon and cheese could significantly increase saturated fat content of the whole meal.

Many research studies have repeatedly shown that consuming 1 whole egg/day does not appear to contribute to heart disease in most people.  In these studies dietary cholesterol did not contribute to significant raise in blood cholesterol; whole eggs (in moderation) have been shown to consistently increase HDL cholesterol levels (the good cholesterol). Whole eggs also contribute to the feeling of fullness, so you don’t feel hungry soon, which helps in decreasing caloric intake. Thus research continues to show that eggs supply nutrients needed for health without increasing risk for coronary heart disease.

Some other myths regarding eggs:

• Myth: Brown eggs are more healthy than white eggs
• Fact: There is no nutrition related difference between brown eggs and white eggs, different breeds simply lay eggs with different shell colors.

• Myth: Organic eggs are more nutritionaly benficial than regular eggs
• Fact: There is no significant difference from the nutrition perspective, between organic and regular eggs, the difference is only in how the chickens are bred and fed. 

 So eat your eggs whole!

 Things to remember:

• Anything is healthy only if eaten in moderation.
• Be aware of how you prepare and what you eat with your eggs.
• Cook your eggs thoroughly to ensure safety - avoid runny eggs.

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Srilekha Karunanithi of Kirkland is a first-year Master's student in Nutritional Sciences at University of Washington who is training to become a Registered Dietitian. Her master’s program focuses on the influences of diet on health and how positive dietary changes help in the control and prevention of many diseases.