| Your Health: | | | | |  | Health Issues |
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| | An egg a day...is OK! | | | “Oh my Gaaad …I'm delighted to hear you recommend eating whole eggs rather than egg whites or fat-free substitutes. I'm really thrilled I can eat 4-6 whole eggs a week even though my cholesterol is high. I always thought that eggs were bad, bad, bad for my cholesterol.” drawled the heavy lady with the American twang.
I come across this a lot, the perception that one of the most versatile, economical, easily digestible forms of protein, the egg “is bad for the cholesterol”. So off I go with a lengthy explanation about the various fats in her diet, pointing to the real offenders – the large amounts of saturated and trans fats she consumes in the various spreads, biscuits, snacks, pastries and take-outs. |
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| | | Her smile waned a little when I suggested a boiled or poached egg with wholemeal bread instead of her usual sausage, streaky bacon, buttered and ketchuped white roll. I think she’d been dreaming of two new pan-fried additions to the breakfast roll instead of a substitute!
| | | The misconceptions about eggs were, I think, based on the premise that eggs contain two substances that continue to suffer from a dreadful reputation: ‘cholesterol’ and ‘fat’.
Many people might not know what cholesterol is or does, but it’s quite clear that they think it's dangerous. The fact is that cholesterol plays an important function in the body. About 80 percent of it is produced by the body itself, regardless of how much dietary cholesterol you eat or don't eat.
| | | | Most of your body's cholesterol is found in the cells. Cholesterol helps to maintain the flexibility and permeability of cell membranes and helps keep the skin supple. It is also essential for the production of sex hormones, cortisol, vitamin D and bile salts. Only about 7 percent of the body's store of cholesterol is in the blood, and the real damage it does, is when it oxidizes and begins to stick to the arterial walls and narrows them. |
The point is that dietary cholesterol (found in eggs and shellfish) has little or no effect on serum or blood cholesterol. The Seven Countries study* author, Dr. Ancel Keys said "There's no connection whatsoever between cholesterol in food and cholesterol in the blood. None. And we've known that all along." That has been confirmed in many studies since.
In a review of studies carried out by McNamara in 2000*, it was reiterated that for the general population, dietary cholesterol made no significant contribution to arteriosclerosis and risk of cardiovascular disease.
| The same year Dawber* addressed the effect of egg consumption specifically on dietary cholesterol intake and on blood cholesterol and on the incidence of coronary heart disease in a free living US population from Framingham, USA. The researchers concluded that “merely avoiding eggs in the diet will have little or no effect on blood cholesterol level”. Closer to home, a report by Dr Sinead Mc Carthy* on behalf of Bord Bia, concluded on reviewing the literature that “It appears that consumption of 1 egg a day is safe provided it is part of a balanced healthy diet that is overall low in fat (at least less than 35% energy from fat), low in saturated fat (less than 11% of total energy intake from saturated fat), high in fibre (24g per day) and high in fruit and vegetables (at least 5 portions a day).
| So if your blood cholesterol is normal the recommendation from the Health Promotion Unit at the Department of Health and Children is that you can eat up to seven eggs a week. For you have a high blood cholesterol, the Irish Heart Foundation recommends you eat four to six eggs a week. So you can still enjoy the odd egg for breakfast or a good substantial omelette for lunch. Now where’s your egg-cup?
| | | Facts about eggs | | | Eggs have a high nutrient density in proportion to their calorie count. An average egg has approximately 76 kilocalories. An average banana has 95 kilocalories.
Eggs are very good sources of protein and contain substantial amounts of the vitamins A, B, D and E. They are also a good source of essential minerals - iron, zinc, selenium and phosphorus.
Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin because we make it from the action of sunlight on our skin. Egg yolks are one of the few sources of vitamin D, along with oily fish and liver. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium.
Two thirds of the fat found in eggs is the healthy unsaturated kind. In fact the main fat found in eggs is “monounsaturated”, which has the capacity to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad type) and raise HDL cholesterol (the protective type).
Choline is an essential component of all cells. Egg yolk is an excellent source of choline, a nutrient now considered essential for brain and memory development in utero and early life.
Recent studies show that Lutein and Zeaxanthin can significantly lower the risk of age related macular degeneration and can reduce the risk of cataracts and clouding of the eye covering, which can accompany aging. Eggs contain both of these nutrients making it an ideal food to eat throughout life, especially as we age.
Selenium is an important antioxidant and protects our tissues against oxidative damage. One egg can provide 55ug of Selenium, which is 100% of the recommended dietary allowances for the adult male and female.
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