Eggs: good or bad?

Also how about egg whites? Egg beaters? I want to know since I like to eat egg whites or beaters, whatever I have around, but some people say that I should eat the whole egg. What bothers me is that they are 60% fat, and loaded with cholesterol...
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Replies

  • Rogiefreida
    Rogiefreida Posts: 567 Member
    Eggs have an undeserved bad reputation.

    Most of an egg's nutrients are in the yolk. I try to eat a mix of both. If I'm trying to limit calories I'll eat whites only, but I try to keep some whole eggs in my diet to make sure I get the nutrients. Also remember that you need good healthy fats in your diet, and eggs are an excellent source for that.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I eat them whole. I'm not worried about the fat content or cholesterol though. What is interesting is that a whole egg has vitamins: A, D, B-12, & B-6. While an egg white does not.

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  • CheriLiftsBig
    CheriLiftsBig Posts: 6 Member
    Eggs are good. Nutrient dense and high in protein. If you are watching cals, eat some with yolks and some whites. But yolks are still good for you.
  • Kitship
    Kitship Posts: 579 Member
    Eggs are amazing, and amazing for you. I usually eat 3 eggs per day. They're filling and are packed with GOOD cholesterol (which actually helps lower BAD cholesterol).
  • Sarah4fitness
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
    Everything is fine in moderation. If you want more quantity, consume more of the whites. I don't care for egg beaters, they smell like farts to me, but I do enjoy Muscle Egg, which is pasteurized drinkable egg whites, in flavors that are nummy.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You can blame the 80s for your fears. 1) dietary fat is an essential macro nutrient and fat doesn't make you fat...and really, a whole egg doesn't have that much fat. 2) most dietary cholesterol, including that which is in the egg yolk is esterified; esterified cholesterol cannot be absorbed and thus has no impact on your blood level serums. To boot, when people cut out dietary cholesterol, the liver just goes into overdrive producing more which can and is absorbed...thus kind of counterproductive to avoid dietary cholesterol.

    I generally eat one whole egg scrambled daily with 2-3 whites from a carton. I'm a volume eater and this approach allows for greater volume and less calories.

    Ounce for ounce, the incredible edible egg is one of the most nutrient packed foods on the planet.
  • jkestens63
    jkestens63 Posts: 1,164 Member
    I am a huge egg fan. I have at least one a day and frequently 3-4 a day. My doctor told me that eggs contain good cholesterol, and as noted previously, that helps lower the bad. He said that eggs are very nutritious & healthy.
  • loubidy
    loubidy Posts: 440 Member
    Whole egg every time. The yolk is the best part!!
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Nobody better eat my eggs. I loves 'em.
  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
    Eggs are great.

    The biggest issue with whites vs whole is the fat of yolk.

    For me, because I am a woman and need a small amount of calories (1600 a day), I only eat egg whites because while the yolk doubles the protein, the other stuff isn't helpful to my restrictions.

    My boyfriend who works out like a fiend and eats around 3000 a day eats the whole egg because the double protein benefits him and he can get away with more calories/fat/etc.

    So it really depends on your individual needs.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Eggs are great.

    The biggest issue with whites vs whole is the fat of yolk.

    For me, because I am a woman and need a small amount of calories (1600 a day), I only eat egg whites because while the yolk doubles the protein, the other stuff isn't helpful to my restrictions.

    My boyfriend who works out like a fiend and eats around 3000 a day eats the whole egg because the double protein benefits him and he can get away with more calories/fat/etc.


    True. I need the fat and the protein. I'm at 2000 calories a day and lift, so I eat an egg a day, yolk included. I don't eat a lot of other sources of fat, so the yolk is beneficial to me.

    So it really depends on your individual needs.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    Seriously, the "eggs are bad" gig has been up for about 20 years. Time to thorougly research your preconceived (brainwashed) notions about saturated fat and cholesterol too. We've been lied to.

    Egg yolks are the best part. And eat the eggs, the whole eggs.. How is something in a carton going to be healthier than just a plain old egg? Avoiding yolks because they have fat/calories; I just don't get it.

    Fat is a necessary macro. Our body actually needs cholesterol. When cholesterol is a problem in our bodies it's more likely due to high grain/sugar consumption (go research that assertion for yourself if you are so inclined- I don't get paid enough to do it for you). Years and years of low fat diets, and the switch from saturated fats to soy/corn/canola, sure isn't improving obesity and health of the population is it? Quite the opposite.
  • walterm852
    walterm852 Posts: 409 Member
    Seriously, the "eggs are bad" gig has been up for about 20 years. Time to thorougly research your preconceived (brainwashed) notions about saturated fat and cholesterol too. We've been lied to.

    Egg yolks are the best part. And eat the eggs, the whole eggs.. How is something in a carton going to be healthier than just a plain old egg? Avoiding yolks because they have fat/calories; I just don't get it.

    Fat is a necessary macro. Our body actually needs cholesterol. When cholesterol is a problem in our bodies it's more likely due to high grain/sugar consumption (go research that assertion for yourself if you are so inclined- I don't get paid enough to do it for you). Years and years of low fat diets, and the switch from saturated fats to soy/corn/canola, sure isn't improving obesity and health of the population is it? Quite the opposite.

    Congrats on your 77lbs of weight loss, great points made in this post.

    Perhaps you are having a bad day though, the sarcasm and demeaning tone diminishes the reception of valid points. You can make points and be nice at the same time, it shows character.
  • walterm852
    walterm852 Posts: 409 Member
    I eat eats alot, I have never had a cholesterol issue so I never worried about it. I like the taste and the nutrition of the yolk
  • sushidulces
    sushidulces Posts: 69 Member
    I usually do 2 egg whites, and 1 whole egg. There is more protein and lots of nutrients in the yolk :)
  • ewrob
    ewrob Posts: 136 Member
    Fat is a necessary macro. Our body actually needs cholesterol. When cholesterol is a problem in our bodies it's more likely due to high grain/sugar consumption (go research that assertion for yourself if you are so inclined- I don't get paid enough to do it for you). Years and years of low fat diets, and the switch from saturated fats to soy/corn/canola, sure isn't improving obesity and health of the population is it? Quite the opposite.

    Our body also produces cholesterol. Dietary intake of cholesterol is not necessary. My diet does not have cholesterol in it, and has not for over a year.

    As to your assertion about high grain and sugar consumption, you're the one making the assertion, you should back it up with facts. I eat a diet high in carbohydrates, (including lots of whole grains) and I lost over 170 pounds in a year. Perhaps the problem is more around eating excessive amounts of processed junk food? Perhaps the problem is eating to meet cravings rather than the nutritional needs of our bodies?
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
    I also eat the whole egg. I sometimes have a couple for breakfast or in a sandwich. I'll go through stages where I'll eat too many and then back off of them for a while, but not due to calories or fat...just get tired of them.
  • A_Fit_Mom
    A_Fit_Mom Posts: 602 Member
    I usually eat two hard boiled eggs with Salsa over it ...every other day or so. (Might be strange..but tastes so good)
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
    I think eggs are a health food. Not just a healthy food, but a legitimate health food, that has positive benefits. WIC nutrition program thinks so too, and gives them to nursing and pregnant women, as well as their babies.

    I have even known a vegan who will make an allowance in their no-animal-product-lifestyle for eggs, provided they come from back yard pet chickens, versus store eggs.

    Anyways, they are not high in calories, and are a cheap source of protein for us broke folks.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    Good
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    What bothers me is that they are 60% fat, and loaded with cholesterol...

    That's why you should eat them, the yolks are the most nutritious pare, your body needs fat, especially the kind found in eggs, and dietary cholesterol actually raises your good cholesterol. Eat the whole egg, in fact, eat several.

    Rigger
  • 20Grit
    20Grit Posts: 752 Member
    I eat good egggs....not bad egggs.
  • aqualeo1
    aqualeo1 Posts: 331 Member
    Eggs good. Fire bad!
  • DJManos
    DJManos Posts: 220
    3 hard boiled eggs every day. Love 'em!!
  • runs4zen
    runs4zen Posts: 769 Member
    I love eggs and eat them almost daily for the protein. That said, I eat egg whites at least 80% of the time and whole eggs the rest.

    I have the inherited "bad" cholesterol that is damn near impossible to lower without meds. I do a good job though of lowering it with diet and exercise. I don't like taking meds and I'm inconsistent in taking them.

    My blood work shows a lowering of cholesterol levels from year to year, so, winning!! As for the debate on what does/doesn't cause high cholesterol, I'll leave that to the "scholars". What I'm doing works for me.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    Fat is a necessary macro. Our body actually needs cholesterol. When cholesterol is a problem in our bodies it's more likely due to high grain/sugar consumption (go research that assertion for yourself if you are so inclined- I don't get paid enough to do it for you). Years and years of low fat diets, and the switch from saturated fats to soy/corn/canola, sure isn't improving obesity and health of the population is it? Quite the opposite.

    Our body also produces cholesterol. Dietary intake of cholesterol is not necessary. My diet does not have cholesterol in it, and has not for over a year.

    As to your assertion about high grain and sugar consumption, you're the one making the assertion, you should back it up with facts. I eat a diet high in carbohydrates, (including lots of whole grains) and I lost over 170 pounds in a year. Perhaps the problem is more around eating excessive amounts of processed junk food? Perhaps the problem is eating to meet cravings rather than the nutritional needs of our bodies?
    Generally a diet high in grains and sugar and where carbs represent a high percentage of total calories will increase triglyceride's, lower HDL increase C-reactive protein and influence the liver to produce cholesterol with small dense particles.......all of which is not ideal. Your probably fine considering your weight loss but I would imagine your HDL is in the cellar. Not consuming cholesterol has nothing to do with reducing cholesterol in the blood, that is dictated by lifestyle and genetics.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    There was a time for about a year straight, I ate an egg every single day but never had any problems with my cholesterol. I agree it's one of those foods that has gotten a bad reputation.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    I have an egg a day, as a bedtime snack.
    But I am not a big fan of hard boiled chicken eggs, so I have duck eggs, which although higher in calories, are more filling and more nutrient dense, and apparently also alkaline, as opposed to acidic. (someone posted that in another topic on this forum).
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member


    I have even known a vegan who will make an allowance in their no-animal-product-lifestyle for eggs, provided they come from back yard pet chickens, versus store eggs.
    Well she's not a 'vegan' then. I'm not being judgmental, I never try to convert people but I get annoyed, especially in restaurants when people get these terms wrong.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member


    I have even known a vegan who will make an allowance in their no-animal-product-lifestyle for eggs, provided they come from back yard pet chickens, versus store eggs.
    Well she's not a 'vegan' then. I'm not being judgmental, I never try to convert people but I get annoyed, especially in restaurants when people get these terms wrong.
    Apparently only 1 in a 1000 people that say they're vegan actually are, from vegan sources......you should know this if your vegan.