Common sense about the common egg

It’s a good time to be a British egg farmer.

Two years ago the British Heart Foundation (BHF) acknowledged new evidence about dietary cholesterol in eggs. Previously, the BHF had advised against eating more than three eggs per week.

Victoria Taylor – a BHF dietician – told the BBC: “”There is cholesterol present in eggs but this does not usually make a great contribution to your level of blood cholesterol.”

Finally! A little common sense from the mainstream! Thank you, Victoria.

More recently, University of Surrey researchers evaluated a variety of egg nutrition studies and found that the misconception that eggs raise cholesterol levels is based on out-of-date evidence.

Professor Bruce Griffin of the Surrey team told the BBC that the idea that egg intake is linked to high cholesterol and heart disease “must be corrected.” And as if he were reading from a past e-Alert, Prof. Griffin added that eggs are in fact quite nutrient-dense.

So how in the world did eggs get such a bad rap in the first place? In case you missed it, here’s how HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., explained it in the e-Alert “Egging On” (3/18/09): “The studies on cholesterol/eggs and heart disease were done using POWDERED eggs! However, there is a familial hypercholesterolemia where some have to ease up on egg intake, but primarily the problem has always been OXIDIZED cholesterol – cholesterol heated and exposed to air for an extended period…not an issue in a real egg, where the yolk sac insulates the cholesterol from oxidation.”

Dr. Spreen adds that eggs are a rare good source of sulfur. In addition, you’ll get plenty of protein, essential amino acids, vitamins B, D, A, and riboflavin, and minerals, including calcium, potassium, and iron.

It’s high time for the U.S. to get the drift from the UK: Don’t fear the egg.

Source:
“Regular Eggs ‘No Harm to Health'” BBC, 2/11/09, news.bbc.co.uk