October 12, 2012

By David Blyweiss, M.D.

In This Issue:

• Five health benefits of eggs that outweigh cholesterol worries
• Why stressed out chickens make bad eggs
• The hierarchy of egg preparation

Getting Eggs Off The Cholesterol Hook and Back On Your Grocery List

While eggs have mostly been redeemed, I still find a lot of misinformation in both the popular press and the medical community about whether or not they should be included in your diet and in what quantities.

I have also found, in casual conversation with patients and friends, that they still avoid eggs, after being convinced by years of bad press that they were a no-no. Even though most physicians (though not all) have conceded that eating eggs in moderation is more good than bad for you.

The truth is, eggs are a near-perfect food that deserve an esteemed place in your diet. And it’s past time to clear up all the confusion about eggs and your health.

I think when you see the long list of health benefits in today’s article, you’ll agree. Plus, there’s emerging information about cholesterol and your heart that you need to know. I’ll cover a little bit today and even more in-depth in my next issue.

In the case of both eggs, and cholesterol, we may have done too good a job of getting out the bad press… and not nearly enough to correct the misinformation once it was discovered.

First, let’s get the obvious out of the way.

Eggs are not bad for your heart, and they don’t singlehandedly raise your cholesterol. A Harvard study that included over 100,000 subjects concluded daily egg consumption in healthy individuals didn’t increase their risk of coronary heart disease.

And a study by the University of Connecticut found that eating three eggs a day plus a low carbohydrate diet actually improved HDL – the “good” cholesterol – and had no negative health effects.

In fact, it’s becoming clear that we’ve actually got the whole cholesterol question wrong. And that means eggs are off the hook.

So let’s look at what’s great about eggs. The list is quite impressive:

• Brain Food: Eggs are high in choline, an important nutrient for the brain from conception all the way through to old age. Deficiencies in choline during any time in life can lead to problems with learning and memory. Plus the recent popularity of low-fat, low-cholesterol diets put many people in the danger zone of choline deficiency. Eating eggs as a regular part of your diet is the best way to ensure getting enough.
• Omega-3 Powerhouse: Eggs are naturally high in Omega-3 fatty acids. That’s important to the brain, the heart, and helps with cognitive function and is anti-inflammatory. Plus, you can get eggs specially raised to have higher doses of Omega-3’s, which I personally recommend since most of us aren’t getting enough in our diet and need to supplement.
• Feeds the Eyes: The egg yolk – which went out of style when eggs were on the food no-no list – is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. These two nutrients nourish the eyes and are important in warding off macular degeneration. Since aging often comes with vision problems, incorporating these two nutrients in your diet is critically important.
• Big in B Vitamins: The egg yolk is designed to support the nutritional needs of a baby chick. Which means it is exceedingly high in B vitamins – the building blocks of life. For this reason, I suggest you get organic, free range eggs. The conditions on commercial farms are stressful (for the chickens at least!) and stress consumes B vitamins, leaving little behind for the eggs the chickens lay. Or for you.
• Packed with Protein: And last but not at all least, eggs are an excellent source of protein. One egg contains about six grams of protein. And when you consider they are also nutrient-dense, energy-dense, and contain the “good” fat, you can see that eggs are an incredibly healthy, efficient food that never deserved to be abandoned.

There are also quite a few myths about egg preparation…

Before I jump into the best ways to cook your eggs, let me make one important point… cook your eggs.

The raw egg myth is just that – a myth. First, by eating raw eggs, you risk salmonella and other foodborne illnesses that cooking eliminates. But even more important, you get greater health benefits from cooking them.

Studies have shown that blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin are higher after eating eggs cooked vs. raw. And eggs are an excellent source of biotin – an essential nutrient. But raw eggs contain avidin, which binds and prevents absorption of biotin. So, don’t bother with the Rocky-style blender of raw eggs. You’ve nothing to gain… and nothing to prove… by slurping them down!

When it comes to cooking eggs, styles that keep the yolk intact are preferred, such as boiled, poached or over (if you can manage not to break the yolk when you flip!). When the yolk is broken during cooking, the cholesterol can transform from “good” to “bad” through oxidation.

That said, scrambled eggs are better than no eggs at all, in my book.

In my next issue, I’m going to tell you a few things about cholesterol I think will have you looking more favorably towards eggs… and breathing a sigh of relief about your health and your arteries as well.