What’s Up With Eggs?

WHAT'S UP WITH EGGS?

 Many people still remember when eggs were a diet "disaster" long ago. Then, the message was we should avoid or limit eggs because they contain so much cholesterol and are bad for your heart. 

 We now know that demonizing eggs was a gross error, and they have significant benefits to our overall health, providing several essential nutrients. 

 I bring this up because to this day – in the spring of 2022 – I still have people who ask me about eggs. This past recommendation may be one of the more damaging nutrition messages of the past few generations – people cannot move past that messaging. 

 It's weird since the same people haven't seen the messaging about fruits and vegetables or are ignoring it. 

 So, here is the low-down on eggs now (and for the past couple of decades) – they are NOT harmful, off-limits, and you don't need to throw out the yolk. That is where a lot of the essential nutrients are. 

 Low Calorie and High Protein Food

A large egg has 75 calories and 6 grams of protein. Eggs are one of the best protein sources since it is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids, and we digest them easily. The egg white is about 20 calories and 3.5 grams of protein. Egg yolks are about 55 calories and 2.5 grams of protein. 

However, I don't recommend ditching one part of the eggs unless a recipe calls for just one part of the egg, like egg whites for a meringue or angel food cake. 

Fat and Cholesterol Content

A large egg has 5 grams of total fat. That is 1.5 grams of saturated fat(the kind of fat that increases the risk of heart disease), and the rest, 3.5 grams, is an unsaturated, healthy fat. This profile makes the egg about 30% saturated fat and 70% unsaturated fats. 

The cholesterol content of one egg is about 200 mg. Previously the recommended limit for dietary cholesterol was 300 mg/day. This amount of cholesterol is what made eggs so "unhealthy." 

However, in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, the mention of cholesterol is mainly in the context of blood cholesterol, not dietary cholesterol. Though there is a statement in the summary of the current guidelines as follows: 

"A note on trans fats and dietary cholesterol: The National Academies recommends that trans-fat and dietary cholesterol consumption be as low as possible without compromising the nutritional adequacy of the diet. The USDA Dietary Patterns are limited in trans fats and low in dietary cholesterol. Cholesterol and a small amount of trans fat occur naturally in some animal source foods."

The earlier 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans removed dietary cholesterol as a nutrient of concern. 

We need to watch more for trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils in our diet as a population. We don't need to ignore cholesterol intake, but I don't tell people to pay attention to it either. 

And what we do know is that a diet high in saturated fats (even from plant sources) is what increases blood cholesterol levels, not dietary cholesterol. 

While it was logical to assume that dietary cholesterol directly affected our blood cholesterol, this isn't the case. This idea is like assuming our car is out of gas when it doesn't start when the battery is the issue. It may seem like a logical assumption, but it isn't accurate. 

I explain this blood cholesterol and diet connection in this earlier post, Is Blood Cholesterol Still Relevant? 

More Nutrition in that Little Package

While protein gets the headlines with eggs, there is so much more to them. They are one of the few natural food sources of vitamin D and choline, and they contain lutein and zeaxanthin (remember, if you can't pronounce it may still be just fine to eat it). 

The egg yolk is a natural source of vitamin D. And eating an average of one egg a day will help with proper vitamin D levels. (Though if your health care provider still suggests supplementing, follow their recommendations.) 

Choline is an essential nutrient referred to as a "vitamin-like substance." Though it isn't a B-vitamin, it tends to fall into the same grouping as the B vitamins. In 1998, choline became an essential nutrient by the Institutes of Medicine. If you want more details on choline, you can go to the National Institutes of Health Fact Sheet on Choline for Health Professionals. 

Choline is essential for brain and nervous systems development and health. It is crucial during pregnancy – as well as throughout life. It also has functions concerning muscle control and cell membranes. Some of the top sources of choline are beef liver, which I consider a multi-vitamin-mineral food, eggs, other beef sources, and soybeans. There are many different sources, but eggs are at the top of the list for foods people will eat and are readily available. 

And you may have heard of lutein and zeaxanthin on television as dietary supplements concerning eye health. When consumed throughout life, these are antioxidants correlated with reducing the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. 

Now eggs are certainly not the only source of vitamin D, choline, lutein, and zeaxanthin, just like they are not the only source of protein in the diet. They are just one of many foods that will contribute to the overall intake of these nutrients. 

But Wait! 

Even though I'm saying eggs are ok, I'm not saying to go through a dozen a week. The general recommendation is that the equivalent of seven whole eggs a week is just fine. Eggs make a great breakfast, snack, or dinner. One or two eggs are ok for breakfast with some fruit and toast. A hard-boiled egg or two makes a great snack or accompaniment to lunch, and it is portable. And if you aren't sure what to have for dinner, a veggie omelet is perfect. Just don't do this all on the same day.

Make Them Yourself 

Making your eggs yourself is much better than having them at a restaurant. Most people don't realize that restaurants add fat (either butter or oil) when they cook their eggs. Ask for your eggs without added fat, if you can remember. If you choose an egg dish as a restaurant, remember there is a high likelihood of much higher calories.

At home, I make a quiche a couple of times a month. However, the entire quiche has just three eggs in it. Not as much as people may think. 

Food Poisoning

Because of the risk of salmonella poisoning with raw or undercooked eggs, they need cooking until the whites are firm. Egg dishes, such as quiche, must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

The risk of salmonella being in an egg is rare: about 1 per 20,000 eggs. However, the risk increases with poor refrigeration, cross-contamination, or poor-quality control at the farm. We never know which egg is contaminated, so we must treat them as if they all are contaminated.

If your recipe calls for raw eggs that you won't eventually cook, then buy pasteurized eggs, which don't have the risk of contamination in humans.

Do you need to refrigerate them?  

The short answer is probably yes.

In the United States, we wash eggs before selling, at least commercially. 

What does this mean? When the hens lay their eggs, a protective coating surrounds the shell. Commercial eggs lose this protective coating when the eggs are washed. Hence the need to refrigerate. 

If you get fresh eggs, not from your chickens, double-check if they are washed. I get eggs regularly from a family member, and I always check if they are washed or not. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. However, it is often apparent since the unwashed eggs have gunk such as dirt and other plant matter. 

You can store unwashed eggs in the refrigerator or at room temperature. 

Washed eggs need storing in the refrigerator (and ideally in the original carton). 

And there is nothing wrong with "old" eggs. Please don't throw them out. They are still acceptable to eat. In the past, there have been times when the eggs I bought were in the fridge for nearly four months. No problem – as long as I cooked them. 

Disclosure: I am an #EggEnthusiast with the Egg Nutrition Center. Through this, I get educational updates, information, research updates, and sometimes kitchen gadgets or small gifts. I do not get paid for this, this is not a sponsored post, and I would write this even if I were not an official Egg Enthusiast. This post is an updated post from more than ten years ago and on my previous WordPress Blog, "New Mexico Dietitian," before I was part of the Egg Enthusiast program.