Knowing what foods are good for you can be very confusing.

A clear example of this is eggs. 

One week, you see a headline saying they are healthy, the next you see that they cause diabetes or heart disease. 

So what’s the truth?

Well, eggs have been a staple of the human diet for centuries, providing a rich source of nutrients and energy. 

While media coverage has cast a shadow over their reputation, linking egg yolks to heart disease, you should know that these studies are highly misleading.  

This post aims to debunk this myth by exploring the relationship between eggs and cardiovascular health, while highlighting the often overlooked culprits in the rise of heart disease.

The nutritional power of eggs

Eggs are a complete food. Here are some facts that prove that:

A large hard-boiled egg contains approximately 78 calories, 6.29 grams of protein, 5.3 grams of fat, and 0.56 grams of carbohydrate. 

The egg yolk, which makes up about 33% of the egg, is particularly nutrient-dense, providing essential lipids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. 

Notably, egg yolks contain healthy unsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). 

They also offer a wealth of vitamins (A, B2, B6, B12, D, E, K) and minerals (calcium, zinc, iron, potassium, magnesium, iodine, folate, choline, selenium, and phosphorus), alongside antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which support eye health and possess anti-inflammatory properties.

But what about the risks of heart disease, I hear you ask.

Well, the truth is that the idea that eggs and cholesterol cause heart disease is based on ideology rather than facts.

Eggs and heart health: unpacking the evidence

Contrary to popular belief, research has not conclusively linked egg consumption with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). 

The Framingham Heart Study, a cornerstone of cardiovascular research, did not find a correlation between dietary cholesterol from eggs and elevated blood cholesterol levels. 

Even if it did, cholesterol is not the primary cause of CVD. This is shown by recent studies that found the link between 'bad' cholesterol (LDL-C) and poor health outcomes, such as heart attack and stroke, may not be as strong as previously thought.

In fact, factors like stress, inflammation, and blood clotting disorders play a more significant role in CVD than cholesterol levels.

Additionally, meta-analyses and cohort studies have also largely failed to establish a direct link between egg consumption and coronary artery disease. 

The only studies showing a link are observational nutrition studies, which are very unreliable as they rely on subjects filling out questionnaires that often ask about their eating habits over long periods of time.

Eggs actually offer cardiovascular benefits, especially when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. 

This review of 19 previous studies (total of 68,094 elderly participants) found that the higher the cholesterol, the longer one lives. 

Some studies even suggest a potential protective role of high cholesterol against infections and atherosclerosis.

The real culprits: processed foods and lifestyle choices

While eggs have been unjustly vilified, the real dietary villains often escape scrutiny. 

Processed foods high in fructose, refined oils, and refined carbohydrates have been more significantly linked to the rise in metabolic diseases and heart conditions. 

Breakfast cereals, sugary beverages, and ultra-processed foods that spike blood glucose levels are to blame for the increasing prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. 

Social media and advertising further exacerbates this issue by promoting these unhealthy options as desirable, convenient, and even “heart healthy”.

A sedentary lifestyle also plays a major role in cardiovascular disease, which is why regular exercise has been shown in countless studies to be one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk. 

Stress, inflammation, obesity, and metabolic disorders are other factors that contribute to the risk of CVD.

The benefits of including eggs in your diet

Incorporating eggs into your diet can offer numerous health benefits:

• Nutrient-rich: Eggs provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
• Healthy fats: They contain beneficial unsaturated fatty acids.
• Protein: Eggs are an excellent source of high-quality protein, contributing to increased muscle protein synthesis and lowered fat mass. 
• Satiety: Eggs within a meal improved satiety, which could translate into lower energy intakes.
• Anti-Inflammatory: Components like lutein, zeaxanthin, and phosvitin have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
• Sustainability: Sustainability metrics suggest that eggs have the lowest planetary impact amongst animal proteins. 
• Improved insulin sensitivity: Short-term clinical studies have shown that high egg consumption is correlated with significant improvements in insulin sensitivity.
• Improved mental health: One study found each egg increment per week was associated with a 4% lower risk of depressive symptoms.

Eggs are brain food

Eggs are rich in nutrients that are essential for brain health

As far as brain health goes, egg yolks are a good source of choline, which is associated with reducing inflammation and promoting brain function, like maintaining memory and communications between brain cells. 

Eggs are also high in tryptophan, an amino acid that’s a building block of serotonin — the “happiness” molecule.

Consuming foods high in tryptophan, such as eggs, can increase the availability of this amino acid in the brain, leading to increased serotonin synthesis and potentially improved mental well-being.

Should we trust the science?

Over recent decades, large food corporations like Kellogs, Nestle and Pepsico have funded scientific studies with the aim of promoting their products rather than finding the truth about how certain foods affect health. 

These corporations also leveraged their wealth to influence Government policies and the diet recommendations they provide. 

For example, John Harvey Kellogg, played significant roles in promoting alternatives to traditional American breakfasts, which typically included eggs and bacon. 

This shift was influenced by Kellogg’s association with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which advocated for a vegetarian diet to curb carnal desires and promote purity.​ 

Kellogg invented Corn Flakes as a substitute for eggs and bacon - not because it had been shown to be healthier, but driven by religious beliefs. 

Kellog, his protégée Lenna Frances Cooper (co-founded the American Dietetic Association), the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the sugar industry played a large role in the manipulation of nutrition science during the late 19th and early 20th century, which has had lasting impacts on public health.​

However, over recent years, the combination of independent research and online experimenters are fuelling a growing understanding of what foods actually make us healthy and which foods negatively affect us.

And guess what, it’s not the nutrient-dense foods that have been a natural part of the human diet for thousands of years that are ruining our health, like eggs. 

It’s the highly-processed, highly-profitable food-like products that have made corporations like Kellogs, Nestle and Pepsico so much money.

A number of books, articles and research papers have been published on the subject, yet most people still blame saturated fat and cholesterol for the harm that highly-processed, high-profit food-like products cause. 

Conclusion

Eggs are a nutritious and valuable component of any diet. 

The unfounded fear of egg yolks as a cause of heart disease overlooks the many other dietary and lifestyle factors that really contribute to cardiovascular risk. 

It's crucial to recognise the influence of processed foods and unhealthy lifestyle habits in the rise of heart disease, rather than scapegoating eggs. 

Eggs are highly nutritious, accessible and affordable - and do not pose a risk when eaten regularly.

So eat more eggs! 

Source: Debunking the Myth: Eggs and Heart Disease

Source: Eggs: Healthy or Risky? A Review of Evidence from High Quality Studies on Hen’s Eggs

Source: Fiat Food by Matthew Lysiak

Did you know that a growing body of literature has shown evidence that consumption of mushrooms may protect against the risk of cardiometabolic diseases such as CVD?

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