Eggs have been in use since the domestication of birds. Some doctors have labelled eggs as one of the healthiest foods on earth. Eggs have also been quite popular among dietitians since a few decades now. However, eggs have seen a lot of controversies among health experts. While some regard it as a superfood, some others proclaim it to be a food that needs to be avoided. Some people have claimed eggs raise our cholesterol levels and have been found to be as dangerous to our health as five cigarettes. Read on to find out if eggs are a superfood or super unhealthy for us.
Eggs And Cholesterol
The demonization of eggs started with discussions about the cholesterol content present in them. It has been found that one egg contains 186 mg of cholesterol, and all of it is found in the yolk. This gave rise to the popularity of “egg-white-only” breakfast order that became ubiquitous in the diet scenes since a couple of decades now. However, this cholesterol-phobia about eggs are not all required as a more nuanced understanding and enlightenment is required about eggs and their cholesterol content.
According to Tiffany Lester, M.D., who is a medical director of Parsley Health San Francisco, eggs do not deserve this bad reputation as one of the leading causes of high blood cholesterol levels. She also says that the suggestion that eggs, like smoking, with its high saturated fat content accelerates atherosclerosis, is actually false. This observation has been made by two other studies from both Harvard School of Public Health and the National Institutes of Health as well.
Is An Egg As Bad As Five Cigarettes?
The dioxin content present in eggs have been said to be as bad as five cigarettes. Dioxin is a toxic compound that generally gets accumulated in the fatty tissues of animals, and the World Health Organization(WHO) claims it to be a carcinogen. This points out eggs to be super unhealthy. But is it so, really?
Will Cole, D.C. is a functional medicine practitioner who has said that a diet that is rich in organic, pasture-raised eggs and other animal products have ample amounts of vitamin A, and it is found only in animal products. Vitamin A helps in regulating the toxic behavior of dioxins, and this means that although eggs contain dioxins, they also contain vitamin A to stop the bad stuff from affecting the body in a negative way. Research has, in fact, found that other foods concentrated with dioxin are fish oil and rice among others. It has also been found that plant foods contain higher amount of dioxins compared to animal products. Vegetables contain almost six times more dioxin than the beef liver. So, the bottom line is that although dioxins aren’t that great, whole foods account for that, and if we want to avoid them altogether, we won’t have much left to put on our plate.
Are Eggs Beneficial?
It is true that eggs are highly beneficial for our health. Eggs have found to support hormonal health in women and is an excellent source of vitamin A. They help the cells use the thyroid hormone and this affects the weight, mood, energy, and digestive health positively. Eggs are abundant in biotin and choline, which are crucial compounds responsible for fertility and pregnancy. Eggs also contain essential nutrients such as selenium and vitamin B12.
However, it has been said by many doctors that choline is not good for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. But it is always important for us to listen to our body and observe how it responds to eggs before eliminating them completely from our diet. After consuming eggs, if one experiences eczema, ADHD, nausea, digestive issues, seasonal allergies, or just doesn’t feel good in any way, consider eliminating eggs for a couple of weeks and introduce them to your diet again. It is important to notice how you exactly feel, and if eating eggs makes you feel a lot of discomfort, consider eliminating them for a longer period of time.
What Type Of Eggs Should You Eat?
There is one point every doctor must agree on, and this is that the source of eggs is very important. It is important to choose pasture-raised eggs and it is ideal for us to purchase eggs directly from the farmer. Eggs from conventional factory farms are not very beneficial for our body. In fact, it has been observed that tolerance to eggs depends more on what the chickens were eating rather than the eggs themselves. Many doctors do not recommend the consumption of “vegetarian-fed” eggs as those chickens are generally “soy-fed”. This is also one reason why pasture-raised eggs are more tolerable to people around the world.
So, the takeaway is that if you like eggs and are tolerant to them, always include them in your diet, but pay attention to what eggs you are eating. If eggs do not react with your body in any way, the nutrients from pasture-raised eggs are highly beneficial for the human body.
