Eggs Are Not as Bad as Their Reputation

Ever since cholesterol was discovered (or only a short time later), people began to regard the egg as a dangerous object, loading the blood with cholesterol that was immediately deposited in the arteries.  The standard ‘eggs and bacon’ breakfast became a thing of the past, much to my regret.  True, the yolk of an egg does contain cholesterol, but dietary cholesterol bears little relationship to total, low-density-lipoprotein, and high-density-lipoprotein levels in the blood, or the presence of atheromatous plaques in atherosclerosis.  For the general population, dietary cholesterol makes no significant contribution to atherosclerosis and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Be that as it may, new data show that the composition of eggs has changed significantly over the last 8 years.  In late 2010 the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service reviewed the nutritional value of standard large eggs, and compared their findings with the results of analyses made in 2002. The results showed that the average amount of cholesterol in one large intake was 186 mg, 14% lower than eight years previously. Moreover, today's eggs contain 41 IU of vitamin D, an increase of 64%. The amount of protein – 6 g, or 12% of the Recommended Daily Value – is unchanged, as is the average calorie content of a large egg, 70 calories.

This is good news for egg lovers. We can also take comfort from a study reported in 2008 that showed an egg breakfast, compared with a bagel breakfast, enhances weight loss when incorporated in a low calorie diet. Now I can go back to an egg-based breakfast, without fear of gaining still more weight.