Today I’m going to talk about the pros and cons of eating eggs. Health benefits and warnings. You’ll discover:
- Who should avoid eating eggs
- Difference between the yolk and white
- How many eggs to consume daily
- What type of eggs are best
- How to cook the eggs.
Eggs are one of the rare perfect foods because each the yolk and the white have the perfect blend of amino acids, so it’s a complete protein with one of the highest biological values – thus, it gets utilized much better than other proteins and certain way better than vegetable proteins.
My Story About Eggs
Personally, I really like eggs.
When I was growing up, my dad would make me omelets on the weekends. He would use butter, a few whole eggs, and a bunch of vegetables like mushrooms and peppers, and sometimes, he’d even cut up hotdogs into little slices and throw them into the pan.
I still remember how good the kitchen smelled and how great the food tasted.
Then I started bodybuilding and well, things changed. No more egg yolks. All the big guys were eating only egg whites. Which by the way, can taste disgusting after a while.
Later I find out how eating only egg whites isn’t good for your health. Even though all the calories and fat are in the yolks, so are all the nutrients and half the amino acids. Plus, having only the whites can cause a biotin deficiency and cause stomach problems.
So, no more egg whites.
Of course, then I find out how eating whole eggs is bad for you as well because it can raise cholesterol levels and thus, may cause a heart attack or stroke.
It was all so confusing that I just stopped eating eggs altogether for a few years.
So I added eggs to the long list of foods that are going to kill you, right… It’s like, you can’t eat anything these days.
Eggs Raise Your Cholesterol?
But, over time, research revealed that whole eggs actually do NOT cause cholesterol issues for the majority of people.
The cholesterol from the foods you eat does NOT raise blood cholesterol. In fact, the majority of the cholesterol is formed within your body by the liver, NOT from the foods we eat.
This is because every cell in your body needs cholesterol and thus, it will make it on its own to live.
Cholesterol also makes your hormones, which are vital for health, fitness, and longevity.
The yolk does contain some saturated fats, which can be problematic in high amounts.
But more of the fat is actually from unsaturated fats including both mono and poly – both of which can reduce your risk of heart disease.
So, if you’re worried about the cholesterol and saturated fats found in the yolk, for 95% of people it won’t make a difference in your blood tests.
There are other reasons for high cholesterol in your blood tests, it’s not the eggs. Here is the link to my parent’s cholesterol-fix formula if you’re interested in having healthy cholesterol levels, naturally.
Of course, I’m not telling you to go fry a bunch of eggs daily, dump some cheese on them, add in some bacon, and eat it all with croissants or muffins or a bunch of bread and wash it down with a big glass of orange juice.
As tasty as that sounds, that’s not going to be healthy at all and it’s a lot of calories.
Now, one problem though with eggs is that they are one of the most common food allergens, especially in children.
As I said earlier, the whites are problematic too. I had a big bodybuilder friend of mine have a dozen egg whites daily. Which is only about 35 grams of protein. But when I told him to stop, all of his stomach problems disappeared.
Like I said earlier, the egg is a perfect protein food. There are a lot of nutrients in eggs, especially the yolk.
Whole eggs, primarily because of the yolks, are high in vitamins such as B12, B2, A, and E. It also has choline, lutein, zeaxanthin, selenium, and phosphorus. All of which are good for your body, muscles, eyes, and especially the brain.
The cholesterol in the eggs also tends to boost testosterone levels a little bit, which is good for muscles and sex drive.
Best Way To Have Your Eggs
How many eggs should you have?…
I think 2 a day is good for most people. Some can take more and some less.
What’s the best type of egg?…
There’s a myth that brown eggs are healthier than white. There’s, no difference.
Ideally, you want the yolk to be a dark, rich yellow – not pale. But, these days the type of food and additives they give the chicken can artificially change the color of the yolk, so that’s not always the best indicator.
Ideally, you want organic, pasture-raised eggs. They do cost more, but they are healthier.
How should you cook the egg?…
Having the yolk a little runny, helps preserve more of the nutrients and is better for you. Make sure the white is cooked though. So, a sunny side up or a soft-boiled egg would be ideal.
It’s best to not fry up your eggs with oil and butter – if for no other reason, it’s just more added calories.
Summary
So there you have it.
- The whole egg is a perfect protein and a good source of vitamins. If you want to have lots of egg whites, at least throw in 2 whole eggs to improve the nutritional value.
- For 95% of people, eating whole eggs isn’t going to cause cholesterol problems. There are other reasons for high cholesterol and that has to do with aging, negative changes in your hormones, and other processed foods you eat.
- There’s no difference between brown or white eggs. It’s best to get organic, pasture-raised eggs.
- I think 2 eggs daily is good for most people. Preferably cooked sunny-side up or soft-boiled so the yolk is a little runny.
- Be mindful of allergens since eggs, especially white, are a high-allergen food. If you start noticing skin problems, for example, get off eggs for a couple of months and see how you feel.