Is Egg Really Bad for Our Heart?

We are frequently advised by our doctors that if you have high cholesterol level, you should avoid taking any egg especially the egg yolk. So, most of us will equate taking egg yolk to having heart disease because a high cholesterol level will possibly raise the risk of heart disease. Such fear has been instilled in our mind for the last thirty years.

Several notable studies have proven that there is actually weak relationship between egg intake and heart disease. Egg white is a source of protein that is rich in essential amino acids. These acids are required for health but not produced by the body and available only through food. The proteins found in eggs can benefit athletes for the extra energy they require, children for their needs for muscle-building and old people for their requirement to arrest muscle decline.

The yellow egg yolk contains lutein that is excellent for protecting the eyes from age-related degeneration and cataract. The lutein found in eggs is three times better absorbed by the body than is lutein from other sources possibly because of other compounds in egg yolk such as lecithin and cholesterol. Egg yolk is also a good source of choline, a vitamin critical for brain and memory development, especially in early life. Choline also protects the heart by converting a molecule in the body that can damage blood vessels called homocysteine into a safer substance.

Does the cholesterol presented in egg yolk pose any threat to our heart? Newer researches have found that eggs contain low level of saturated fat and no trans-fatty acids. For healthy people with generally healthy diet (limiting red meats, fried and processed foods), one or two eggs a day will not really affect the blood's cholesterol levels. Actually, some researches also reported that eating some amount of egg yolk might even raise levels of healthy fats and prevent formation of blood clots. However, people who are sensitive to cholesterol or who have been advised to cut their dietary cholesterol should still limit their intake of egg yolk or consider lower cholesterol eggs.

The nutrition contained in eggs is of relatively low calories, and they are easy to prepare and eat. With the support of newer research reports, it is far healthier than earlier believed. In order to encourage people to take more eggs, producers of eggs are supplying omega fatty acid enhanced eggs to the public. Unfortunately, these eggs tend to have a relatively low dose of omega-3 fats but very high level of omega-6. We do need both fats but the combination just not right as we need more omega-3 than omega-6. Nevertheless, such imbalance will be corrected sooner or later and it is expected that new varieties of eggs will be available in the market. If you are not sure or get confusing, just stick to the traditional eggs which will give you the nutrition you require.