No, eggs don’t actually increase cholesterol levels (plus four more common myths)
Whether you enjoy your eggs poached to perfection, hard-boiled for a quick protein hit or scrambled on sourdough every Sunday morning, eggs are a nutrient powerhouse.
Offering 17 different vitamins and nutrients, along with high-quality protein, eggs are versatile, and can be enjoyed in a number of ways. Many of us also hold certain beliefs about eggs, which can affect how many eggs we eat, or how frequently we eat them.
Here are some of the most common beliefs about eggs, and why, in many cases, they are complete myths.
Eggs increase cholesterol levels
Perhaps the most common food myth of all time is that eggs increase blood cholesterol and as such should be avoided by anyone who has elevated lipid levels. While eggs, like all animal foods, do contain cholesterol, it does not mean that blood cholesterol levels are affected after eating eggs.
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Rather, the saturated fat content of foods is more likely to affect cholesterol levels, and even then, blood cholesterol levels are usually dependent on a number of other variables including genetics, diet quality overall and the balance of fat types consumed.
For this reason, even if you have elevated cholesterol levels, including up to seven eggs in your diet each week is the number suggested by the Heart Foundation.
Egg whites are healthier than the yolks
While gym bros may load up on the egg whites as a concentrated protein source, not enjoying the nutrient-rich yolks would be a real shame nutritionally. While egg whites contain little to no fat, ultimately the key nutrients eggs offer are all found in the egg yolk.
With just over four grams of fat per yolk, all of the fat-soluble vitamins including vitamins A, D and E are found there, along with iron, selenium, choline as well as the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which support eye health. The yolk also contains almost three grams of protein. This is compared to the egg white, which contains almost four grams of protein.
This means if you are looking to increase your protein intake, you can certainly use extra whites, but you’ll be missing out on plenty of goodness the yolks have to offer.
Raw eggs are a good source of protein
Whether you have seen it in the movies, or even at the gym, buffed individuals downing raw eggs is something we have been taught is a great thing to do if building muscle mass is the goal.
While consuming egg whites is an easy way to consume relatively large amounts of high-quality protein in a small volume of food, or a protein-rich ingredient to add to dishes to increase the protein content, the protein in eggs actually becomes more bioavailable when the eggs are consumed cooked.
Specifically, cooking eggs helps to increase how much protein from eggs the body can absorb, from just 50 per cent when the egg is consumed raw to more than 90 per cent. The reason is that when the egg protein is exposed to heat, the dense protein structures are denatured, making it easier for the digestive enzymes to break the proteins down into absorbable amino acids.
This means that if maximising your protein intake is the goal, cooking your eggs is a no-brainer.
Eating “too many” eggs is bad for you
It is not uncommon to hear recommendations to limit egg intake both to control fat consumption and support heart health, but public health organisations support the consumption of a couple of eggs every day, noting them as a nutrient-dense, protein-rich food addition that is relatively low in saturated fat.
While it is entirely possible to eat too much of any one food, moderate, daily egg consumption is completely safe for the average person, only likely to improve overall nutrient intake given the natural presence of a number of more obscure nutrients, including choline and selenium, few Aussies get optimal amounts of.
In practical terms this means that for the average person a couple of eggs can be enjoyed daily with no cause for concern.
You should not eat eggs if you want to lose weight
On many a low-fat diet, eggs as a key breakfast option have been ditched in favour of low-fat yoghurt and cereal breakfast options, but if anything, the science shows eggs are a superior breakfast option when it comes to weight loss.
One key study that demonstrates this was published in the International Journal of Obesity. Researchers found that when compared to a bagel-based breakfast as part of a diet with a calorie deficit to support fat loss, egg-based breakfasts that offered a similar calorie load to the bagel-based breakfast resulted in a 65 per cent greater weight loss and 34 per cent greater reduction in waist circumference over an eight-week period.
It is thought that as eggs are typically more satisfying, an egg-based breakfast also positively affects calorie consumption for the remainder of the day.
For egg-breakfast lovers, the key is to enjoy the eggs poached or hard-boiled rather than fried or scrambled with extra fats added for flavour, which is common in cafe-based breakfasts.
Produced in partnership with Australian Eggs. Susie Burrell is an Australian Eggs ambassador.
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