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A source of cholesterol and salmonella outbreaks – no wonder eggs have been vilified for years. But the days of going to work on an egg may well return. Sales of eggs in the UK rose by 2.4% in 2014. The British Heart Foundation not only dropped its advice to limit eggs to three a week in 2007, but now has egg recipes (and not just for egg-white omelettes) on its website.
The egg is increasingly being exonerated as a health hazard – the latest findings from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee in the US say that eating foods high in cholesterol may not significantly affect levels of cholesterol in the blood, and hence it has dropped its restrictions on dietary cholesterol. A large yolk contains 210mg, and the previous cholesterol limit was 300mg a day. The committee’s latest draft report says that eating saturated fat in some meat and dairy products may be more significant factors in clogging up arteries and contributing to heart disease.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) lists eggs as a rich source of high-quality protein, which explains their popularity in high-protein diets. Eggs feature prominently in the paleolithic diet as a nutritious food that stone age man or woman would have gobbled down if they had been lucky enough to find a nest. In the modern take on this diet, cooking eggs any way you like is fine (maybe not swimming in butter). Convinced? Even the recommendations for eating eggs before their best-before date has been changed, with the FSA saying they are OK up to two days afterwards, as long as the white and yolk are cooked until firm.
So should you eat more eggs, and if so, how many?
The solution
Personally, I hate eggs except in cakes and mayonnaise, but not only are they a good source of protein, even their fat content is mostly unsaturated (44% monounsaturated, according to the FSA). What’s more, a medium egg has only 80 calories, they are relatively cheap, easy to cook and their yolks contain such useful nutrients as vitamin B12, riboflavin, folate and vitamin D.
There is no good evidence for how many eggs you should eat, but studies show that one a day is fine – although it may increase the risk of heart disease in people with diabetes. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence of people who eat three or more eggs a day and feel fine. Eggs are likely to make a healthier breakfast than sugary cereals, though only if they are consumed with low-saturated-fat products – which means not fried with sausages and bacon, served with buttered toast and drowned in salt.
