Eggs...the rest of the story

Recent headlines claim that there is no need to limit egg consumption saying that eggs have little effect on cholesterol levels. While it is true that it is more important to pay attention to the saturated fat and trans fat in foods, it is wise to limit the amount of cholesterol we eat. Eating too much cholesterol can increase the cholesterol in your blood! The current recommendations from the Dietitians of Canada state:

* If you do not have heart disease, eat less than 300mg of dietary cholesterol per day.
* If you have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease, aim for less than 200mg of dietary cholesterol per day.

Here are some examples of the cholesterol content of foods:

1 large egg - 216 mg cholesterol
15 medium shrimp - 148 mg cholesterol
2 1/2 oz cooked beef liver - 286 mg cholesterol
2 1/2 oz cooked beef - 58-60 mg cholesterol
2 1/2 oz cooked chicken - 63-71 mg cholesterol
1 1/2 oz cheese - 38-58 mg cholesterol

Eggs can a healthy part of healthy diet...in moderation!

Submitted by Rochelle Anthony, Dietitian for the Cardiac Rehab Program, who can be reached at 306-655-2140

Eggs could reduce blood pressure

"Researchers in Canada are reporting evidence that eggs - often frowned upon for their high cholesterol content - may reduce another heart disease risk factor - high blood pressure. They describe identification of egg proteins that act like a popular group of prescription medications in lowering blood pressure. The report appeared in the February 11 issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. In the new study, Jianping Wu and Kaustav Majumder note that eggs are an inexpensive source of high-quality protein and other nutrients. Egg consumption, however, has decreased during the last 40 years amid concerns about cholesterol. Recent studies do suggest that healthy people can eat eggs without increasing their heart disease risk. Other research hinted that certain egg proteins might have effects similar to ACE inhibitors, prescription drugs used to treat high blood pressure" - redOrbit

Regular eggs 'no harm to health'

Limiting egg consumption has little effect on cholesterol levels, research has confirmed. A University of Surrey team said their work suggested most people could eat as many eggs as they wanted without damaging their health. The researchers, who analysed several studies of egg nutrition, said the idea that eating more than three eggs a week was bad for you was still widespread. But they said that was a misconception based on out-of-date evidence. Writing in the British Nutrition Foundation's Nutrition Bulletin, they said eating saturated fats was far more likely to cause health problems. Researcher Professor Bruce Griffin said eggs were actually a key part of a healthy diet, as they were particularly packed full of nutrients - BBC

An egg a day not a bad idea

"If you've religiously stayed away from eggs fearing the 'bad cholesterol' and risk of heart disease, scientists can lay those fears to rest. According to them, the health benefits of eating eggs prevail over its rather 'insignificant' risks. In a recent study, scientists estimated that eating one egg per day is responsible for less than 1 percent of the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy adults. On the other hand scientists found that lifestyle factors including poor diet, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity contribute 30 to 40 percent of heart disease risk, depending on gender. The study authors used data from the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to categorize the U.S. adult population into various groups based on modifiable lifestyle risks. These populations account for 85 percent of all U.S. males ages 25 and older and 86 percent of U.S. females ages 25 and older" - MedIndia

Take a look at the sunny side of egg yolk

"It may be time to rethink the egg-white omelet. Popular on breakfast menus with dieters and cholesterol watchers, they're often prepared with chopped spinach and tomatoes and arrive with whole-grain toast. By forgoing the traditional three-egg western omelet stuffed with ham and cheese, you're definitely choosing a breakfast lower in total calories, fat and cholesterol when you go with the egg-whites-and-veggies-only choice. But that doesn't mean saying no to yolks is always the healthiest thing to do, because when you throw out the yolk you're missing out on some pretty powerful nutrients. While the white of a large egg is virtually fat-free and a bit higher in protein than the yolk (3.6 grams compared to 2.7 grams protein), the yellow center is where nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and other compounds, are stored" - Cox