Eggs are so incredibly nutritious that they’re often called “nature’s multivitamin.” Think about it, the nutrients in them are enough to turn a single cell into an entire baby chicken (ok, let’s maybe not dwell on the baby chickens).
However, eggs have been heavily demonised in the past because they contain a large amount of dietary cholesterol, which was believed to increase the risk of heart disease. Eggs sadly got caught up in the ‘low fat debacle’ as I like to call it, when natural, fabulous, whole-foods containing good fats fat were shunned in favour of commercially man-made low-fat ‘foods’ and sugar laden carbohydrates. All fat was seen as unhealthy and even dangerous, whereas its actually vital for us to consume!
So the truth is that despite being high in cholesterol, eggs don’t raise the bad cholesterol in the blood. In fact, eggs can also raise the “good” cholesterol of some people known as hyper-responders. So despite all the warnings about eggs in the past few decades, studies show that they are NOT associated with heart disease, in fact they can be seen to be protective against heart disease!
This is because despite an egg containing about 185mg of dietary cholesterol it has been scientifically proven that dietary cholesterol does not raise blood cholesterol levels and is not damaging to our health. Far more damaging to out health are in fact trans fats (found in commercial baked goods, fried foods, margarine) and sugar.
If anything, eggs are pretty much a perfect food for us to eat. They’re loaded with protein, healthy omega fats, B vitamins, minerals and unique antioxidants that protect the eyes.
They are also an excellent source of Choline, a nutrient that is very important for the health of the brain and about 90% of people aren’t getting enough of it.
And despite being a “high fat” food, eating eggs for breakfast is proven to cause significant weight loss compared to a breakfast of toast or muffins.
And my BIG TIP when it comes to eating eggs? Take the health benefits to a whole new level by buying and eating pasture raised, organic free range eggs. These are by far the best eggs you will ever eat and have the yellowest yolks and the thickest milky whites, as the chooks are raised and free to roam on actual grass and shake their feathers in the sun instead of being cooped up in sheds and scratching in dust like most free range chickens. Pasture raised chooks are eating plants, grass, bugs, insects and this diet dramatically changes the taste and health benefits. As well as being absolutely delicious, pasture raised eggs contain so much more of the amount of valuable nutrients; with 3-6 times more Vitamin D, 3 times more amounts of Vitamin E, 7 times more beta-carotene, twice as much omega 3 oils and 2/3 more Vitamin A. I consider them my family’s daily vitamin pill in fact!
So rest assured, eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet and do not raise your ‘bad’ cholesterol levels! Eat away and enjoy!
In good health, Victoria xoxox
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