Eggs-ellent!

One of the diet myths out there is that eggs are bad for you. This stems from the fact that eggs contain dietary cholesterol, but research shows that egg consumption actually has little effect on the levels of cholesterol in the blood of people eating them.

A recent randomised trial of pre-diabetic and diabetic subjects showed that people who had a high egg consumption (> 12 eggs/week) for 3 months had no adverse changes in their cardiometabolic markers compared to people on low egg consumption (< 2 eggs/week) (1). People in both groups achieved equivalent weight loss.

Eggs are a source of protein, vitamins A, B2, B6, B12, D and K, as well as selenium, calcium and zinc. Eggs are also a great source of choline, a key component in cell membranes and important for brain function.

The British Heart Foundation states there is no recommended number of eggs that you should eat in a day as long as you eat a varied diet (2).

Eggs are widely available, low-cost and can be prepared in many ways – scrambled, boiled, poached or omelette – what’s your favourite way to eat eggs?

1. Effect of a high-egg diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes and Egg (DIABEGG) Study—randomized weight-loss and follow-up phase. American J of Clinical Nutrition, 2018; DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy048

2. https://www.bhf.org.uk/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2015/may/eggs-and-cholesterol