#1: Are Eggs Healthy?
Fried, scrambled, hard-boiled, or poached. Eggs taste great AF. But are they healthy?
Experts debate this to date. Some are happy to eat eggs to their heart’s content, while others maintain that even one egg per day is more than enough, at least as far as cholesterol goes.
But really and truly, it’s just not the cholesterol that grinds our gears. The egg’s bad rap comes from ‘choline’, a compound in egg yolk.
What is choline? ‘Choline’ is the precursor of a nasty chemical created within our gut: trimethylamine (TMA). This later changes into trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), an internationally recognised risk marker for cardiovascular disease. This process is orchestrated by bacteria living within the gut.
Does this mean eggs are bad? Are they going to kill us? Well… that depends; partly on your diet as a whole. As it is with most things, it’s all about the big picture.
The Big Picture: Eggs As Part Of A Healthy Diet
The populations of bacteria in our gut are determined by what we eat on the whole, rather than on a ‘one-off’ basis.
And since choline is found in many animal-based foods (meat, fish, poultry) and even refined grains, then technically, a diet heavy in these foods could mean more TMAO. But to state that as fact would be wrong.
When eggs are consumed as part of a whole-food diet with a heavy emphasis on plants, we often do not see any negative effects.
In fact, some of the longest-living populations on the planet are Lacto Ovo Vegetarians, vegetarians consuming both eggs and dairy.
A study by the University of Harvard suggested that people who eat eggs regularly did have higher cholesterol scores, but mostly in the form of HDL, or ‘high-density lipoprotein’, which is, oftentimes, a good thing.
HDL tends to act like a ‘mop up crew’, ridding one’s arteries of their less useful cousin - LDL (low-density lipoprotein). That being said, LDL could also increase with egg consumption, in some cases at least.
Another study by the University of Harvard showed that when non-egg-eaters were given eggs as part of a healthy diet, even their average blood pressure came down. Very likely, this is because egg yolks come pre-packaged with tryptophan, tyrosin, and a bunch of amino acids, which help regulate blood pressure while promoting cardiovascular health.
One single egg (50 g/180 kcal) has a nutrient profile of:
6 g of protein
5 g of fat
0.5 g of carbohydrate
187 mg of cholesterol
Therefore, one could argue that the odd egg or two, here and there, could provide a fairly decent nutrient profile so long as calories are controlled. True, it has 5 g of fat (in the egg yolk), but this fat is in the form of omega-3 fatty acids and unsaturated fats; the kind of fat that is essential to life and which cannot be made by the body. This fat has to be obtained from the diet alone.
On their own, egg yolks contain a protein called phosvitin, an anti-inflammatory compound known to enhance gastrointestinal health. The yolks also contain sulfated glycopeptides, which promote the production of macrophages. Therefore, arguably, they could strengthen one’s immune system. The yolk can even give you a healthier skin texture through its ceramides and peptides. So if you’re not a fan of wrinkles, you may consider incorporating them in your diet.
Another - often overlooked - advantage of the egg yolk is its role in eye health (vision). This is because egg yolks contain carotenoids (mainly lutein and zeaxanthin), which protect against macular degeneration.
Carotenoids are colorful pigments that are responsible for the yellow color of the egg yolk. They act as antioxidants, protecting the eye from damage caused by free radicals.
On that note, you’d be surprised to learn that some eggs are better than others. That’s because, unfortunately, we currently live in a world where quantity trumps quality.
So what are we looking for in a ‘good egg’?
The ‘Good Egg’
Always remember: we are what we eat, but we are also what we eat, ate.
That being said, there is a difference between standard chicken eggs (caged birds) and the eggs that come from free-roaming chickens. That is because the diet and living conditions of the latter are usually far better than those of the former.
The more ‘orange’ an egg yolk is, the more suggestive of the fact that its parent had a good diet and lifestyle; for a chicken, that is.
If you can, and you should, go for the type of eggs that come from pastured chickens. In Malta, we don’t know what that means. Thus, colloquially, we often refer to eggs from ‘free chickens’ as ‘free range’ eggs. To do so would be technically incorrect… but that’s just the way it is, for the time being.
Semantics aside, there are two qualities you should pay attention to when scouting a good egg:
A good, hard shell
An orangy egg yolk
Eggs: Good or Bad?
In moderation, and when taken as part of a whole-foods, predominantly plant-based diet, there is no reason to suggest that egg consumption is harmful. They could have a marginally positive impact on one’s health, at best, or a flat-out neutral effect, at worst.
As part of a typical Westernized diet, however, I would argue that eggs could have a potentially harmful effect. That is why their consumption (as it is with most other things) should be considered in view of the total diet.
It must also be said, that while the cholesterol found in the egg yolk does not seem to contribute to one’s cholesterol profile, some folks do experience an increase in their cholesterol scores when more dietary cholesterol is consumed. These guys have to pay more attention (but they can only be made aware of this through routine blood tests).
For the average person, moving recreationally and eating relatively healthy, I would recommend a serving of a couple of eggs three or four times per week. In athletes or Lacto Ovo vegetarians, however, I would consider a greater consumption. This is because eggs, whether you love them or hate them, have one of the best amino acid profiles of all foods. Not to mention, they contain healthy fats and a variety of important micronutrients (including anti-oxidants).
How Best To Consume Eggs
Be it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, eggs could fit into any meal, really. Though instead of having them with bacon and sausage, consider including eggs with:
A variety of vegetables,
Homemade sourdough bread,
Fruit, including olives and avocado,
Beans and legumes
Complex carbohydrates (like potatoes and day-old rice)
If you want to increase the protein profile of the egg, I would also consider adding egg whites to your standard egg mix. Say, two whole eggs together with two egg whites. Like this, you can keep calories low while maximizing protein and minimizing fats (all the while, you’ll retain those important micronutrients).
Doing this would make your egg the centerpiece of the plate because the protein source will always be the most important part of the plate. But rather than adding meats, cheeses, and fish, switch to a variety of plant foods. That, I would say, is how you could potentially incorporate them as part of a healthy diet.
