SHARES
“Are eggs harmful to heart health? Some say eggs are high in cholesterol and bad for the heart! So should I let my father eat eggs even though he has high cholesterol? But, I’ve heard of opposite opinions that eggs aren’t bad for heart.” Christine, 33, finds it confusing whether eggs are good or bad for heart health.
It was reported before that eggs are considered bad for the heart due to its high cholesterol content found in egg yolk. Yet, eggs also contain a whole lot nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants that are good for our health. In fact, more and more studies show that eggs have little to no link with heart disease.
Are Eggs Harmful to Our Heart?
Results from a few studies show the positive effects of eggs on cholesterol among respondents who consume 1-3 eggs daily:
- In nearly all cases, it is the “good” HDL cholesterol that has increased.
- Total and “bad” LDL cholesterol generally remain unchanged or increase slightly
- Omega-3-enriched eggs help lower triglycerides (a risk factor in cardiovascular disease)
- Blood levels of beneficial carotenoid antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin are higher
Another observation is that individuals respond differently to having eggs regularly in their diet. Generally 70% of people show no increase in total or “bad” LDL cholesterol. However, 30% of people do experience small increases in cholesterol levels.
Even though eating up to 3 eggs per day may raise blood cholesterol in some people, they change the “bad” LDL particles to larger particles. Larger LDL particles pose a lower risk of heart disease as compared to smaller dense LDL particles.
So are eggs harmful? The latest cholesterol dietary guidelines from both the US and UK no longer have eggs as a restriction. Instead, the emphasis is put on the two main culprits of heart disease due to dietary factors, namely fats and sugar.
An Egg A Day is Safe For Your Heart
A Finnish study that follow-up young people without any health issues for 21 years, reveals that taking an egg a day does not relate to higher risk for heart attack. Likewise, an analysis of multiple major studies on the relationship between eggs and heart attack concludes that taking an egg everyday is not harmful to the heart. Even though smaller studies may yield varying results such as egg consumption linking to heart attack or eating eggs can reduce heart attack risk, these data are limited.
Having said that, these studies are mostly observational. It is hard to say whether people with a healthy heart tend not to consume too much eggs or taking an egg per day makes our heart healthier. The cause and effect relationship is still largely unclear.
Photo by Raymond Little from Flickr
Fats and Cholesterols in Egg
When compared to other sources of protein such as meat, even though eggs may contain a high level of cholesterol, as shown in the several studies, the amount of unhealthy fat content is relatively low. Conversely, saturated fat in meat can raise the overall cholesterol including our body’s bad cholesterol.
On the whole, our daily requirement is about 300 mg of cholesterol in our diet. Taking a large egg would supply about more than half of our daily cholesterol requirement (185 mg). Thus, even though eggs contain relatively good nutrients with low fat, it is not advisable to combine a cholesterol laden and fat rich diet such as fried food, red meat and a large egg on top of that. Take everything in moderation, which could include a nice large egg in your daily diet to keep your heart healthy.
Choline in Egg
Our gut bacteria in the intestines can convert choline into substances that are harmful to the heart. This raises the concern whether eggs are bad for the heart due to their choline content. However, researchers found out that choline in eggs are absorbed readily into our bloodstream and hardly get to reach our large intestines where these conversion take place. Also, any raise in these harmful substances after an egg meal is usually transient and, therefore, do not cause damage to our heart and blood vessels.
Photo by themonnie from Flickr
Conclusion
Many people are bewildered by differing opinions to the question “are eggs harmful?” The latest scientific evidence is that even though eggs are high in cholesterol, they contain a whole lot more good nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins that are good for our health. Taking an egg a day or up to three, is perfectly safe for the heart provided we practise a balanced diet and take everything in moderation. The best of all is eggs are among the most nutritious super food on the planet!
References:
1. Mozes A. Cholesterol in eggs may not hurt heart health: study [WebMD]. WebMD LLC. 2020. (Available from: https://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20160216/cholesterol-in-eggs-may-not-hurt-heart-health-study#1; last updated on 2020 Feb 16; last accessed on 2020 Aug 23)
2. An egg a day not tied to risk of heart disease [Internet]. ScienceDailty. 2020. (Available from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200127134727.htm; last updated on 2020 Jan 27; last accessed on 2020 Aug 23).
3. What Happens When People Eat Several Whole Eggs per Day? (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-many-eggs-should-you-eat#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3, published August 23, 2018, last accessed on 2020 Aug 23).
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by Chang Xian
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