3 facts about eggs and cholesterol

If you’ve been avoiding eggs for fear that they’ll clog up your arteries think again. These tips will give you the facts about eggs and cholesterol and help you make better eating decisions.

Eggs are great sources of inexpensive protein, B vitamins and minerals but they have a reputation for being very high in cholesterol levels. The average large egg contains a great deal of cholesterol. In fact, it contains 200 milligrams of cholesterol which is two-thirds of the maximum daily total recommended by many heart organisations. This is why, in the 1970s, doctors started to tell their patients to reduce egg intake. Studies of the time showed that people with high blood levels of cholesterol had an increased risk of heart disease.

That being said, more recent research tells a different story. Today, researchers know that cholesterol in food has only a slight effect on the levels of cholesterol in your blood. What is interesting is saturated fat and trans fat are the properties that you should worry about. You’ll find these in foods like bacons, doughnuts or other fatty sweet food.

When you eat foods which are heavy with trans fats, your liver produces large amounts of cholesterol. This can stagnate blood flow, clog up artery and lead to a heart attack.

Think about this; a fast-food double cheeseburger may have up to 24 grams of saturated fat. One egg, on the other hand, contains only a small amount of saturated fat - or just 1.6 grams to be precise.

Any type of heart disease is very serious so many major studies have taken place on what causes such conditions. Several major studies have helped to change eggs' reputation in the minds of most physicians and nutritionists.

One key, long-running heart study found no link between eating eggs and heart attacks. Likewise, Harvard researchers didn’t find any connection between eggs and heart disease when they analyzed the diets of nearly 118,000 healthy men and women.

Health bodies still recommend eating no more than one egg per day and cutting back on other foods that are high in cholesterol on days that you eat an egg. If you want to go for a two-egg omelette though, it won’t harm you.

Recent studies have shown that eggs do not deserve the reputation they have for being rich in cholesterol and causing heart attacks. Certain fast foods are much more dangerous. These tips will help you make the best decisions for healthy, nutritious eating.