Eggs…are they healthy or not?

When you eat eggs, do you eat just the white only and dispose the egg yolk because of the fat or cholesterol? Is it healthy to eat eggs every day? Read on to find out.

There are so many misconceptions regarding cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential for health. It is produced in the liver and pumped into the blood when you body needs it. Cholesterol is a crucial building block, and every single cell depends upon it. It’s needed for sex hormone production, immune and nervous system function, and is vital to healthy brain function activating the release of neurotransmitters. Cholesterol <160 is associated with immune dysfunction, an increased risk of depression, low libido, anxiety, respiratory illness, stroke, and brain-related deaths such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

We’re living in an era of information overload, along with flawed studies causing confusion and misinformation regarding nutrition and health.

Eggs…with the Yolks for Health, Vitality, Longevity & Fat Loss

Rich in omega-3 fatty acid, DHA, which is necessary for brain function
The yolk contains 43% of the total egg protein and has the highest concentration of amino acids required for optimal brain function.
The egg yolk is one of the best sources of choline, a vital nutrient required for your brain to make acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory. Choline is vital for brain health, especially fetal brain development, proper liver, brain and nerve function, memory and transporting nutrients throughout the body.

Reduced choline levels are associated with anxiety. Nearly 90% of Americans are deficient in choline. Just 10% of older children, men, women & pregnant women are getting an adequate intake of choline (Zeisel et al., 2009).

Eggs contain healthy fats and are rich in cholesterol.
Eggs contain lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids…important for healthy eyes.
One hundred percent of the carotenoids, essential fatty acids, vitamins A, E, D, and K are found in the yolk. These fat soluble vitamins support the thyroid gland, reduce the damaging effects of diabetes, boost immune function, reduce risk of cancer, keep bones, teeth and skin strong and healthy, plus so much more, The white does not contain 100% of any nutrient.
More than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and 89% of the panthothenic acid are found in the yolk. The white doesn’t contain more than 90% of any nutrient, but does contains over 80% of the magnesium, sodium, and niacin.
The yolk contains between 50-80% of copper, manganese, and selenium, while the white contains between 50-80% of the potassium, riboflavin, and protein.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found no link between egg consumption and risk of heart disease. The study found that egg consumption may actually prevent blood clots, stroke and heart attack.
Eating eggs reduce small-LDL cholesterol levels by 18 percent.
Research published in the International Journal of Obesity found that eating eggs for breakfast helped overweight individuals lose 65% more weight and feel more energetic versus those who ate a bagel breakfast.

Egg-ceptional Egg Facts…FYI

One egg has 6gm of protein with all the amino acids and 5gm of fat.
Eating the white without the yolk is an incomplete protein source.
Eggs (particularly the whites) are high on the list of foods that many individuals are sensitive to, therefore it’s best not to eat eggs day after day after day.
Since the yolk contains most of the egg's cholesterol, breaking the yolks when scrambling eggs allows the cholesterol to be exposed to much more air and heat than other cooking methods that leave the yolk intact causing the cholesterol in the egg yolks to oxidize before you eat them.
Enjoy eggs sunny side up, over-easy, soft-boiled, hard-boiled, poached or raw.
Extreme heat destroys the enzymes, reduces the amounts of certain nutrients, and may make the amino acid, cysteine, less available, which is needed to synthesize the master antioxidant of the cell, glutathione.
Avoid commercially-raised eggs, franken-fake eggs (i.e. egg beaters) and eat only organic, free-range, pastured eggs. Pastured (not pasteurized) eggs are eggs from hens that feed on grass and insects and are full of quality nutrients versus eggs from confined chickens. Visit your local Farmers Market, a local farmer or look for Vital Farm eggs at your local supermarket.
Organic, free-range, pastured eggs have 3x more vitamin E, 7x more beta-carotene, 2x more omega-3 fats and 4-5x the amount of vitamin D as compared to conventional factory-farmed eggs.

Take away message – Eggs are nutrient-rich and one of the healthiest foods for health, vitality, longevity and fat loss. Enjoy the whole egg.

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