There have been many debates over the health effects of egg yolks. The biggest is that eggs contain cholesterol. Currently the science community realizes that saturated fat has more of an effect on cholesterol than cholesterol itself.
Here is more information you might find interesting:
A study was done comparing whole eggs and bagels and their affect on appetite and cravings. Eggs were shown to reduce appetite for more than 24 hours, http://www.enc-online.org/pdf/Dhurandhar%20JACN05.pdf.
Chris Masterjohn, http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Egg_Yolk.html, uses The USDA Nutrient Database as a resource for his nutritional analysis. Here are some of his points that caught my attention.
1. Egg Yolks Contain Essential Fatty Acids DHA and Arachidonic Acid
Omega-3 fatty acid (DHA), necessary for the brain and proper retinal function in the eye
Omega-6 fatty acid (arachidonic acid), required for healthy skin, hair, libido, reproduction, growth and response to injury
2. Eggs provide a broad range of nutrients that most people lack in their diet
Minerals: magnesium, calcium, iron and copper
Vitamins: A, E, B6 and folate (especially Mexican and Black Americans)
According to his research “Egg yolks would resolve Americans’ most common nutrient deficiencies” and it underscores the “importance of the egg yolk and relative unimportance of the egg white because the yolk contains the majority of the copper, nearly all of the calcium, iron, folate, and B6, and 100% of the vitamins A and E.”
There are more nutrients that are found in the yolk that are beneficial to your health:
Choline:maintains healthy cell membranes, helps support memory and heart health by keeping homocysteine levels down.
Selenium:a powerful antioxidant that supports the immune system, reproductive and thyroid health.
Lecithin: We use it as a supplement for our patients at The Center for Balanced Health, www.centerforbalancedhealth.com , to to lower blood cholesterol. It is also important for proper brain function.
Lutein and zeaxanthin: have been found to be important as protectors against cancer and macular degeneration.
Here’s a link to whole foods if your interested in more of the health benefits, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=92.
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About the author
Valerie Goldstein
Valerie raises the bar for health and nutrition know how with unconventional expertise and unconditional support for wellness.
These are really impressive ideas in about blogging. You have
touched some fastidious points here. Any way keep up wrinting.
Thanks Valerie for your response. I have ordered the study guide. I agree it’s impossible to generalize as to what is the perfect diet for everyone. Have you ever had one of your patients experience a rise in LDL on low-carb, and if so what concerns do you/don’t you have about this? Sorry, that is a loaded question… PS, I tell my patients no more than 5 whole eggs per week if they are diabetic or have CVD; 7/week for everyone else. But part of me wonders if I’m being too restrictive.
Thank you so much for this! I am an RD who in the last 3 years has begun swinging around to believing in the safety and benefits of low-carb (although I was educated strongly against it). But it never made sense to me that something as natural and un-processed as eggs would contribute to cardiovascular disease. I wonder, do you think there is a limit to how many eggs people should be eating per day/week? Conventional dietetics is embracing eggs more these days but with limits. And do you have any information about the nutritional differences between eggs from chickens that are factory-farmed vs pastured/free range? Thanks again, I just found your blog today and will be checking it frequently from now on.
Beth let’s keep the dialogue going, this is so exciting…You may want to read my interview with Elisa Zeid another RD, http://galtime.com/article/health/8/15858/fix-stubborn-fat#axzz1ose3I5Vf, or even check out the Stubborn Fat Fix Study Guide, http://www.wolfrinke.com/cefiles/C217CPEcourse.htm. Keep an open mind and you will find much more than you are looking for.
I personally have consumed up to 8-10 eggs/day without a problem but as you know everyone is different and you cannot make general comments about things like this to the general public. The research is out there. I prefer free-range eggs because it seems Omega 3 content increases when animals feed on grass. You may find this article interesting, http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21675726/ns/today-food/t/pecking-order-which-eggs-are-best/ but there may be many who disagree.
Thanks for reaching out, I look forward to communicating with you.
Very interesting post,thanks for taking time to sharing this good news.
Nice mark out of things – Interesting – one could think this way also . Thanks for the post
Yes there are a few of us out there. Thank you for your comment.