Dr Federica Amati has told people to not worry themselves about the cholesterol levels of one of the UK’s most popular foods. Dr Amati is the head nutrionist at health and lifestyle app Zoe, and she was discussing the health benefits of eggs.
Statistics show that Brits love eggs. The UK ate approximately 12.8nillion of them last year, meaning 37.2million were eaten each day. That equates to 199 eggs per person, per year.
It is well-known that they are excellent sources of protein and other nutrients. However, fears remain over their levels of cholesterol, which can lead to high blood pressure, heat disease, and stroke.
But Dr Amati, who is also the author of Every Body Should Know This, stressed that eggs were a ‘wonderful’ source of protein and nutrients and that people do not need to worry about cholesterol levels. This is because people would have to eat huge quantities before it had an effect.
“Did you know eggs contain almost all the micronutrients we need (in small amounts) from our food?,” she said. “Right now there is some fear around eggs in the US due to bird flu outbreaks but don’t worry – buy red lion stamped eggs and cook them well, especially if you’re pregnant or immunocompromised.
“They have so many wonderful nutrients in them; they provide good quality protein and they are delicious, but how many should we be eating? This is something I’m often asked when I mention eggs in my videos.
“There used to be fear around cholesterol content but you’d have to eat quite a lot of eggs every day for that to be an issue, so you don’t need to worry about it. My recommendation is that two eggs, maybe 3 or 4 times a week will leave space for other foods to bring other nutrients into your diet.”
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is a type of lipid. The two main types of cholesterol are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is often called “bad” cholesterol, while HDL is often called “good” cholesterol. While some cholesterol in our body is essential, the type and amount of cholesterol in our blood correlates with the risk of heart disease.
Egg yolks do contain cholesterol. But while egg yolks are high in cholesterol and are a major source of dietary cholesterol, it is saturated fatty acids that have a greater effect on our blood cholesterol levels and, therefore, heart disease risk.
Research has also shown that most of the cholesterol in our body is made by our liver — it doesn’t come from cholesterol we eat. The liver is stimulated to make cholesterol primarily by saturated fat and trans fat in our diet, not dietary cholesterol. But a large egg contains little saturated fat — about 1.5 grams.
Research has also confirmed that eggs also contain lots of healthy nutrients, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which are good for the eyes. They also have choline, which is good for the brain and nerves; and vitamins A, B, and D. In fact, just one large egg contains 270 international units of vitamin A and 41 IU of vitamin D. One large egg also contains about 6 g of protein and 72 calories.
“They are nature’s multivitamin,” Dr Amati continued. “They have so many wonderful nutrients in them, they provide good-quality protein, and if you like them they are delicious.
“But how many should we be eating? Well, the thing about eggs is that they are wonderful, but they should only be part of our diet. They don’t have to be the main component. So, my recommendation is that if you are going to have some eggs, have two eggs maybe three or four times a week, and that will leave space for other foods to bring other nutrients into your diet.
“In terms of the content of eggs, they used to be fear around there cholesterol content, but you’d have to eat quite a lot of eggs every day for that to be an issue in increasing your cholesterol levels, so don’t worry about that.”