Eggs…
Do you think eggs are bad for you? Have you watched a vegan propaganda film disguised as a documentary? Or have you not read anything about nutrition since the 1950’s? If so, this article is for you!
Eggs are amazing. They literally contain all the nutrients to create a life. There is also a butt load of scientific data on the benefits of egg consumption. First, let’s get into all the nutrition in an egg.
A large egg contains approximately 77 calories, 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat(mostly un-saturated). Vitamin B2, B5, B9, B12, A, E, selenium, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, and more. Most of these are only in the yolk. Besides liver, egg yolk has the highest levels of choline. Choline is needed for neurotransmitter, brain and nervous system function, normal metabolic processes, clearing cholesterol from the liver, and other routine bodily functions. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are two antioxidants found in egg yolks that accumulate in the retina and reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. There’s probably more that I’m missing but it’s glaringly obvious that eggs might be the most complete food on earth.
Now for what people THINK is bad.
Cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol, for most people, does not increase blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat does by downregulating LDL receptors and allowing cholesterol to build up in the blood. Most of the fat in eggs is unsaturated(about 38% mono and 16% poly). That means for most people eggs should pose no risk of CVD. Unless you have Familial Hypercholesterolemia, there’s nothing for you to worry about.
From a review by Ghada A Soliman
“To date, extensive research did not show evidence to support a role of dietary cholesterol in the development of CVD. As a result, the 2015⁻2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans removed the recommendations of restricting dietary cholesterol” 1
And
“Consuming up to one egg per day does not appear to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, according to a new study and meta-analysis led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.” 2
I could cite countless more.
This one, if you haven’t seen it, should be of interest to the lifters. Better gains from whole eggs vs. egg whites.
“ post-workout muscle-building response in those eating whole eggs is 40 percent greater than in those consuming an equivalent amount of protein from egg whites, the team found…We saw that the ingestion of whole eggs immediately after resistance exercise resulted in greater muscle-protein synthesis than the ingestion of egg whites,”3
The only downside to eggs is that if you eat too many, like ANY food, you can gain weight. If you gain too much weight and become obese from overconsumption of, and i can’t stress this enough, ANY FOOD, you increase your chances of CVD and other metabolic diseases. Demonizing one food, whether its eggs or red meat or poprocks, will never be accurate without context and nuance. People want things to be black and white but that’s not how nutrition(or life) works. Even “healthy” foods can cause issues in some people. Including the ones i’ve mentioned. You might just have shit genetics. Sorrrrrry.
Next time your ill informed friend tries to tell you that eating an egg is as bad as smoking, slap them, then send them here,
Taylor Guillemette runs www.healthybodysickmind.com
Follow him at @healthybodysickmind_ on the Gram!