The Top 5 Health Benefits & Myths about EGGS

The Top 5 Health Benefits & Myths about EGGS

Time to crack open the egg jokes and bust some common myths with science.

Myth #1: Eggs are bad for your heart:  Not true. In fact a cohort study of over 21,000 physicians showed absolutely no increased risk of Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD). In fact, the study revealed it may prolong life, especially in diabetic subjects. 1 The cholesterol in eggs does not become harmful if you don’t over-cook them. Better to eat them runny.

Myth #2: Eggs are high in bad cholesterol: Not true. It’s true that eggs are actually high in cholesterol, but cholesterol is not necessarily bad for you. The other factor is that not all dietary cholesterol goes straight to your blood and is then deposited on artery walls. Your body will not survive without some cholesterol. There are two types of cholesterol, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) the good type, and Low Density (LDL) the type that can cause problems in some individuals. Certain oxidised fats and excess sugar in the diet have a much bigger effect on poor cholesterol levels than eggs. Too much refined sugar will more likely be converted in your liver to triglycerides, lowering HDL and increasing LDL. 2

Myth #3: Uncooked eggs contain salmonella: No, certainly not all. There have been cases of salmonella out breaks and it is possible to get salmonella from eggs, around 1 in 20,000, about the same as being murdered or having a car accident. A few things about salmonella, one it is more likely to occur from caged and unhealthy chickens and it generally occurs on the shell so we can take precautions. To prevent salmonella, wash the egg in hot soapy water or water with a few drops of iodine. Also, don’t eat cracked eggs and cook the white. To cook the white you can flip quickly or blow torch the top briefly until clear turns white.

Benefit #1: Nutrients: Most of the nutrients in eggs are in the yolk, including 3g of protein. Good quality free range eggs contain tryptophan (essential to life, regulates mood, builds protein), Selenium (antioxidant), Iodine (low in Australian soil), Phosphorus (teeth, energy, DNA), Riboflavin (B2, energy and fat metabolism), Choline (cell and brain function, CNS, prevent atherosclerosis), Folate (also called Vitamin B9 or folic acid, prevents spinal bifida, reduces homocysteine, reduce stroke, reduces macular degeneration), Lutein (reduces risk of macular degeneration, cataracts and certain cancers), Zeaxanthin (reduces macular degeneration, powerful antioxidant), Vitamin D (essential for strong bones and muscles, prevent MS, heart disease and cancer, enhances immunity).

Benefit #2: Organic vs. Caged: You probably already know my answer here but I’ll go over the facts anyway. Organic, free range eggs allow the chicken to peck around and eat what it normally should; pasture grass, bugs, seeds and get ample sun exposure. Researchers found that free range eggs contain 30% more vitamin E, 66% more vitamin A, twice the amount of omega-3 and 7 times more beta-carotene.

Final Tips:

1.    Choose pastured, free range eggs

2.    Keep eggs in the fridge

3.    Keep eggs in cartons. Each egg contains 17,000 pores that absorb odours.

4.    Store eggs ‘pointy end down’ as the air sack is at the other end and won’t impact on the yolk.

5.    Totally safe during pregnancy, just make sure you wash the shell to be safe.

6.    Wash the shell with warm soapy water or water with iodine.

1.       Am J Clin Nutr April 2008 vol. 87 no. 4 964-969

2.       CIRCULATIONAHA.110.972166Published online before print January 10, 2011,doi: 10.1161/​CIRCULATIONAHA.110.972166

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