More than ever, it seems like people have a problem with eating whole eggs. These days it might be par for the course to have four cookies for dessert, but somehow having four whole eggs for breakfast is considered a dietary faux pas. What gives?
Eating eggs shouldn’t be feared. But first let’s clear up the confusion about dietary cholesterol. In most individuals, dietary cholesterol has minimal, if any, impact on your blood cholesterol. According to a research review by Dr. Maria Luz Fernandez, approximately 70 percent of the population has a mild increase or no alterations in blood cholesterol levels when given diets high in dietary cholesterol. One reason for this is that the body always compensates. So usually the more cholesterol you consume from your diet, the less cholesterol your body makes. Also, approximately 40 to 60 percent of dietary cholesterol is excreted.
According to a review of scientific research regarding eggs, population-based studies researching the association between egg consumption and blood cholesterol levels either found no association or actually an inverse association. However, there is a very small and rare percentage (0.1 to 0.4 percent) of the population with a genetic predisposition to higher cholesterol levels. These higher cholesterol levels are due to a defect in a certain enzyme in the pathway of cholesterol synthesis. But wait a minute, even if I don’t have to worry about dietary cholesterol, aren’t eggs fattening?
Just because a food contains fat doesn’t mean it’s going to make you gain body fat. If you’re consuming more calories than you need (a state of calorie surplus), you will gain weight in the form of body fat. That being said, fat contains more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrate, so it has more potential to make you gain weight. And yet we must remember to be mindful of the fact that this weight gain is the result of consuming too many calories, regardless of the dietary source. The bottom line is that you can eat a moderate or high amount of dietary fat without gaining body fat if your calories are under control.
“Oh them eggs…I got a mind to ramble; I got an egg to scramble.”
Benefits of whole eggs:
- Eggs are an excellent source of protein. One egg is 6 to 7 grams (3 grams in the egg white and 3 grams in the yolk) and also a source of beneficial fat (4 to 5 grams per egg).
- This combination of protein and fat will help you feel full and for longer. The protein suppresses your hunger, and the fat keeps food in the stomach longer. The longer food stays in your stomach, the longer you will feel full (helping to prevent overeating).
- There is a reason the yolk is yellow. It’s filled with nutrients. The yolk is a great source of the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are important for eye health.
- Whole eggs contain a nutrient called lecithin, which helps support cholesterol metabolism.
The American Heart Association has recently changed their recommendations, which do not specifically recommend either avoiding or limiting eggs to a certain number. Health comes from the overall consistency of your diet, not by avoiding a particular food. So let’s acknowledge all of the benefits of eggs and the fact that they can be included in your meals.
References
- Fernandez ML (2006) Dietary cholesterol provided by eggs and plasma lipoproteins in healthy populations. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 9:8–12.
- Kritchevsky SB (2004) A review of scientific research and recommendations regarding eggs. J Am Coll Nutr 23(S6):596–600.
- Tillotson JL, Bartsch GE, Gorder D, Grandits GA, Stamler J (1997) Food group and nutrient intakes at baseline in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Am J Clin Nutr 65:228S–57S.
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Seth Bronheim is a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer. He has a private practice in New York City, and his services include nutrition and diet consultations, exercise program design, and personal training sessions. He can be contacted at sethbronheim@gmail.com or call 516-978-1864. Check out his blog at www.sethbronheim.blogspot.com. 
I had never heard this exact split before:
<blockquote.Eggs are an excellent source of protein. One egg is 6 to 7 grams (3 grams in the egg white and 3 grams in the yolk) and also a source of beneficial fat (4 to 5 grams per egg).
Is that truly the case? I usually do a split of egg whites and whole eggs and when calculating the protein of just an egg white, I didn’t ever think it was a 50/50 split between that and the yolk. Just curious.
Kevin,
It usually is very close to a 50/50 split. For 6 grams in a medium egg – food studies quote is as around 2.6 for the yolk and 3.4 for the egg white. So, it is approximately 50/50 split. Thanks for reading!
It’s very rare for a natural food to be “unhealthy” for you I think. Cookies and soda make people fat, not egg yolks and whole milk.
Thanks for the cholesterol breakdown. I always hear from people that you shouldn’t eat eggs because of this and never knew how to counter that.
Great article!
RE: Protein in yolks/whites, Nutritiondata.com lists a large egg yolk as 2.7g protein, 4.5g fat, 0.6g carbs. A large egg white is listed as 3.6g protein, 0.1g fat, 0.2g carbs.
Just in case that’s ever an answer on jeopardy or somethin.
Without eggs, there is no steak and eggs breakfast… and therefore no reason to live.
Thank you for the article. Further support for my theory that whole eggs are awesome and eggwhite omelettes are for sissies.
I participated in an egg study several years back and I’m one of those genetically pre-disposed to cholesterol. Regular eggs jacked up my levels quickly, but “Omega-3″ eggs only nudged it up a little.
People who have cholesterol issues ought to seek out eggs high in Omega-3 (or maybe even the low cholesterol engineered ones), i.e. from chickens fed flaxseed, “Eggland’s Best” brand, etc. I’m not sure what the scientific consensus is on this point, but it was a dramatic difference in my case.
imo, these eggs taste better, too, so it’s a win-win situation.
The nutrition content of an egg on the carton. I’ve never just eaten the whites and have been trying to convince people that whole eggs are good for you and that they have the good fat. But, that still only confuses the general population and they still believe protein itself builds muscle.
This information has been around for at least 15 yrs. 15yrs ago is when I began to take an interest in nutrition.
Too many people have been brainwashed by the “all fat/all cholesterol is bad society”.
After a few different Low Carb cycles, I have a hard time eating eggs, does anyone else feel that way? And what do you do?
every mornin…3 whole eggs. love it!
6-12 whole eggs a day here. My cholesterol has actually improved since switching from white to whole eggs, imagine that.
i thought there was a reduction in protein and fat conversion type during certain temperatures and cooking the eggs?
How do you guys eat your eggs in the morning, scrambled?
Started drinking raw eggs a few weeks back instead of protien shakes. Is the protein content the same? They are easier to get down raw, I can drink 8 with no discomfort. (I can usually eat 5, no matter how they are cooked.) Except when I vomit a little back into my mouth, only happens drinking extra large eggs.
The protein in raw eggs versus cooked is similar enough. Some amino acids in the protein are sensitive to heat, but it’s such a small amount that is lost.
Thanks Seth.