The egg is standard breakfast fare, but many people may be wondering whether eggs are healthy.
At just 78 calories each, eggs are an efficient, rich source of protein and vitamins. A large egg contains about 6 grams of protein. Eggs also are a good source of other nutrients, including vitamin D (which aids bone health and the immune system) and choline (which helps metabolism and liver function, as well as fetal brain development).
Egg yolks also can be good for the eyes; they are significant sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been found to reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people 55 and older.
But egg yolks are also known for their cholesterol. A typical large egg contains 186 mg of cholesterol, more than half the amount previously recommended for daily consumption before federal dietary guidelines(link opens in new window) dropped the numerical goal in 2015, citing a lack of scientific evidence for a specific limit.
The sunny side of eating eggs?
“We are probably more embracing of eggs within a heart-healthy dietary pattern than we were 20 years ago, but it’s still a source of dietary cholesterol,” said Jo Ann Carson, professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “Eating an egg a day as a part of a healthy diet for healthy individuals is a reasonable thing to do.”
A study published in May in the journal Heart(link opens in new window) found that an egg a day just may keep the doctor away.
Researchers studied nearly half a million Chinese adults over nine years and found up to one egg per day led to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Experts have pointed out, however, that participants in that study were not eating a Western diet.
Another study from May, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition(link opens in new window), found that eating at least 12 eggs a week for three months did not increase cardiovascular risk factors for people with predicates and Type 2 diabetes. That result went hand-in-hand with a healthy diet designed to help study participants lose weight.
