What's the consensus...Are Eggs Good or Bad for us?

BrianAWeber
BrianAWeber Posts: 82 Member
edited November 21 in Food and Nutrition
It's the internet, so I can't tell what's true and what's not, what information is update, and which information is outdated.

I'm not worried about the calories instead I'm interested whether the high cholesterol in eggs is bad or good for us because there doesn't seem to be a consensus from what I have read.

Replies

  • meganpettigrew86
    meganpettigrew86 Posts: 349 Member
    Personally I think eggs are great and everyone should eat them for every meal... but that is because I sell free range eggs. I love it when someone goes on a fad diet where they eat 6 a day.
    All eggs are not equal though, true free range looks and tastes a lot different from your cage variety.
  • BrianAWeber
    BrianAWeber Posts: 82 Member
    I love eggs too, but I have to watch my cholesterol, triglycerides, and all that good stuff. What I am wondering is if the cholesterol in eggs will have a positive, negative, or neutral impact on my numbers? Oh, and yeah, I will be meeting with my doctor on the 26th and will have this conversation with her, but just checking to see if anyone here has asked the same question?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    for me eggs = good... especially when they are soft boiled and on top of toast and sliced avocado!
  • meganpettigrew86
    meganpettigrew86 Posts: 349 Member
    I used to go to a dietitian who said you shouldn't have more than 3 eggs a week (from memory) also not have more than 2 meals red meat either.
    But like you have found, there is plenty of contradictory arguments for and against this. Your doctor will have their opinion and different doctor will have another.
    Personally I think if your going to get your cholesterol from somewhere it's better to have it from something unprocessed and simple. Cutting out cholesterol completely can't be good?
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
    I was looking into this awhile ago because I eat eggs for breakfast. In terms of cholesterol, 1 egg per day was okay but more than that the research got fuzzy. I ended up switching to eggs only 2-3 times per week and I eat yogurt the rest of the week.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    If you aren't one of the people for whom dietary cholesterol impacts your blood cholesterol then they are likely fine. About 1/3 of the population may experience blood cholesterol problems from too much dietary cholesterol, for the rest it has only a minimal effect.
  • _pi3_
    _pi3_ Posts: 2,311 Member
    What I get out of it is eggs in moderation is fine. Any cholesterol is bad but it goes down if you don't eat it constantly.

    But I'm no expert :+1:
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    suzannesimmons3 wrote: »
    BrianAWeber wrote: »
    I love eggs too, but I have to watch my cholesterol, triglycerides, and all that good stuff. What I am wondering is if the cholesterol in eggs will have a positive, negative, or neutral impact on my numbers? Oh, and yeah, I will be meeting with my doctor on the 26th and will have this conversation with her, but just checking to see if anyone here has asked the same question?

    If you are normal cholesterol in food will not affect your blood cholesterol. Backed up by science :)

    Normal?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Dietary cholesterol likely does not matter (if you have cholesterol issues you may get advice to try cutting down as it does for some): https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/cholesterol/
    For most people, the amount of cholesterol eaten has only a modest impact on the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. (24) For some people, though, blood cholesterol levels rise and fall very strongly in relation to the amount of cholesterol eaten. For these “responders,” avoiding cholesterol-rich foods can have a substantial effect on blood cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, at this point there is no way other than by trial and error to identify responders from non-responders to dietary cholesterol.

    I think eggs are generally good sources of nutrients and not bad for you at all, but like most everything I'd use judgment and moderation.
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  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    Doctors = They really don't know that much about nutrition. You are better off researching yourself on reliable websites. I believe they are extremely healthy.

    I have a grandma that cooks them in a pool of bacon grease and tops with it a lot of salt and cheese. A serving could possibly be 600 calories. Not including the sausage and biscuits.
  • kristinann308
    kristinann308 Posts: 53 Member
    I eat a LOT of eggs. They are my go-to for breakfast. Usually 1-2 whole eggs a morning, or 1 whole egg and a couple of egg whites with a little cheese or veggies. I just had my physical this week and there is no indication in my blood work that eggs are detrimental to my health. So be it...I will continue my path :-)
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    No single food is "good" or "bad" for you. It's about the food's context -- how does it fit in to your overall diet? How much of it are you eating? How does the food interact with your own personal health conditions?

    Dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol aren't linked as tightly as was once thought. For some people, the two are intertwined; for others, dietary cholesterol has almost no effect on blood cholesterol. Eggs contain dietary cholesterol. They also contain protein, fat, and an entire range of micronutrients... and none of that means anything in isolation.
  • DananaNanas
    DananaNanas Posts: 665 Member
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »

    I have a grandma that cooks them in a pool of bacon grease and tops with it a lot of salt and cheese. A serving could possibly be 600 calories. Not including the sausage and biscuits.

    Are we cousins? lol
  • LiveLoveFitFab
    LiveLoveFitFab Posts: 302 Member
    I eat a lot of eggs, always have. Blood cholesterol LDL is super low, HDL is high. My blood pressure is so low they told me I should take a walk about and take it again.

    I think it affects some people more than others. We are all different. If I had high cholesterol I'd probably skip it. That being said, you can counteract the animal cholesterol in your life with some fish oil and plant fats. It's all about balance.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    Eggs are a good, inexpensive source of protein. A large egg contains about 5 grams of fat, 2 of which are saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends that we limit saturated fat intake to about 5% to 6% of daily calories.

    To figure out how many grams of saturated fat is your ideal limit, multiply your daily calorie limit by 0.06 and divide that number by 9. For example, if your daily calorie limit is 1500: 1500 x 0.06 = 90, 90/9=10. You should strive to keep your saturated fat consumption under 10 grams per day.

    Other fats, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, do not have the same dangers to heart health. Fats are a necessary part of our daily diets and previously believed low-fat recommendations turned out to be incorrect. Eating fat and cholesterol does not raise your blood cholesterol. In fact, eating a low-fat diet that is high in carbohydrates is likely to increase triglycerides and lower HDL (the "good" cholesterol).

    So, that being said, an egg is not unhealthy in and of itself. It is better for you than a bowl of low-fiber, sugary cereal. Whether is it better for you than a bowl of high-fiber, unsweetened cereal depends on the rest of your diet.
  • ladyrkill
    ladyrkill Posts: 12 Member
    My go-to breakfast for the last two to three years is 2 hard-boiled eggs, a banana and an americano. I use to also have rice milk with the coffee but stopped that. I can't eat anything with gluten or dairy so eggs are a great source of energy and protein for me.

    I've had doctors say that eggs everyday is fine and others doctors say it is not so good if eaten everyday. My current doctor says they are a good source of cholesterol and has never said that eating 2 eggs a day is wrong. My cholesterol levels have always been pretty good so I personally have not had to worry about the amount of eggs I eat.

    I agree with some of the above posts stating that it really depends on the individual and what dietary needs make for the best balance.

    I also believe that if you can get farm fresh free range eggs that is the best route to go! I love walking down to the farmers market every Saturday to pick up a carton of eggs for the next week.
  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
    I have an egg every day! No issues here!
  • NurseKristi81
    NurseKristi81 Posts: 90 Member
    I have an egg in my kale salad everyday! I love eggs and I have my own hens so I know what nu
    trition is going in! :)
  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,589 Member
    Eggs! I love eggs! I actually started separating them so that I could have more. So it's mostly whites for me. I probably have six a day on average.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    dietary cholesterol plays little to no roll in blood serum levels for the vast majority of people. I had really high LDL cholesterol when I started...started dieting which included a couple eggs most everyday...my LDL cholesterol is now optimal...

    More and more studies are showing that it's mass quantities of free sugar and highly processed refined carbohydrates that may be more impactful.

    Your liver makes more cholesterol than you could ever really consume...what you consume in a couple of eggs is pretty insignificant relative to the amount your body is already producing.
  • ViolaFlorence93
    ViolaFlorence93 Posts: 4 Member
    Eating dietary cholesterol will do little damage to your LDL levels your body doesn't consume it best that way. Saturated fats on the other hand, will give you cholesterol. "Some foods naturally contain cholesterol, known as dietary cholesterol. Foods such as kidneys, eggs and prawns are higher in dietary cholesterol than other foods.
    The cholesterol found in food has much less of an effect on the level of cholesterol in your blood than the amount of saturated fat you eat." NHS source: nhs.uk/Livewell/Healthyhearts/Pages/Cholesterol.aspx
  • emailmehere1122
    emailmehere1122 Posts: 140 Member
    meganpettigrew86 wrote: »
    Personally I think eggs are great and everyone should eat them for every meal... but that is because I sell free range eggs. I love it when someone goes on a fad diet where they eat 6 a day.
    All eggs are not equal though, true free range looks and tastes a lot different from your cage variety.


    Do you have an opinion on Happy farm egg company? Just starting buying their eggs and curious if it's really worth the extra money.
    Are well looking for a more "orange" looking yolk or a higher yellow

    What the wolf man said above..the amount of cholesterol in eggs really isn't a drop in the bucket compared to what our livers are pumping out.
  • ccruz985
    ccruz985 Posts: 646 Member
    Eggs are one of the better things for you. If you have cholesterol issues I'd consider having one whole egg and two egg whites instead of two whole eggs.
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