Most dietitians agree: one egg a day is OK

In honor of September being National Cholesterol Education Month, I thought it might be good to discuss the “eggstraordinary” egg.

Many people think that if they eat a whole egg at breakfast it will raise their blood cholesterol levels. A couple of decades ago, eggs got a bad reputation when it was believed that cholesterol in eggs could clog your arteries. Now, more research is proving that one egg per day does not result in increased blood cholesterol levels, nor does it increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in healthy people.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that consuming less than 300 milligrams per day of cholesterol can help maintain normal blood cholesterol levels. Plus, consuming less than 200 milligrams per day can further help individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

One large egg has about 213 milligrams of cholesterol, all of which is in the yolk. Dietitians recommend including eggs in our diet because they have a high nutritional value, are an excellent source of protein, only 70 to 80 calories each, low in saturated fat and keep you satiated. They are also full of nutrients such as iron, B vitamins, disease-fighting carotenoids and minerals including folate, which is recommended for pregnant women.

From a dietitian’s perspective, it is acceptable to eat one egg per day. However, when monitoring milligrams of cholesterol, it is important to limit other cholesterol sources or animal products for the rest of the day. To do so, you can try substituting vegetable proteins like dried beans and avoiding high-fat dairy products for that day. Egg whites are also a good alternative, which contain no cholesterol, or use cholesterol-free egg substitutes.

When buying eggs at the store you have a wide variety of choices from egg size to color and even improved dietary quality. There are cage-free, free-range, organic and lower-cholesterol eggs, which are produced by using healthier oils in the chicken feed. Omega-3 eggs also are now available. These are produced by using chicken feed that is enriched with flaxseed, marine algae, bran, kelp, fish oil or vitamin E to increase the egg’s healthy content of omega-3 fatty acids.

In my opinion, no matter what egg you choose, they are an inexpensive delicious and nutritious healthy option for people of any age.



