There’s something we’ve been getting wrong when it comes to egg yolks. Let me explain: egg white omelettes have been very much en vogue for the past ten or so years. People beeline for them on a cafe menu, hoping to boost their protein and start the day off with a pep in their step. And while, yes, they’re rich in that protein, as it turns out that decision is really limiting the amount of nutrients you could be enjoying. What if we told you that you’re in fact throwing away the best bit, the egg yolk?
Here’s why you need to retain, and enjoy, nature’s multivitamin: egg yolks.
Is egg white or the egg yolk healthier?
In a nutshell, the egg yolk is more nutrient-dense than the the egg white. Why? The egg yolk contains zinc, iron, calcium, copper, manganese, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12 and choline, which specifically is integral to supporting healthy brain cell membranes. Egg whites, on the other hand, are a superpower in terms of protein, but really that’s it’s main skill.
At the end of the day, if you’re throwing away your egg yolks, you’re limiting the benefits you can receive from this little superfood of an ingredient.
Pexels: Polina Tankilevitch
Aren’t egg yolks high in cholesterol?
Over recent years the tide has turned in regards to cholesterol and eggs. In summary, egg yolks alone do not affect your cholesterol, no matter how many you eat.
An interesting way of looking at it: 25% of your cholesterol is housed in your brain, and the brain actually produces cholesterol itself. This is to say, cholesterol, in some forms, shouldn’t scare us. In fact, cholesterol is useful for brain health and the development and maintenance of a happy nervous system. Further to that, we know that dietary cholesterol has little impact on blood cholesterol. This however this doesn’t apply to saturated fat, which we should be mindful of consuming.
A recent study conducted by the American College of Cardiology over a four-month period found that cholesterol levels were similar among people who ate eggs most days of the week, compared to those who ate limited eggs. The study looked at a total of 140 patients with or at high risk for cardiovascular disease were enrolled in the PROSPERITY trial, which aimed to assess the effects of eating 12 or more fortified eggs a week versus a non-egg diet (consuming less than two eggs a week) on HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, as well as other key markers of cardiovascular health over a four-month study period. The researchers found that eating 12 fortified eggs each week had no adverse effect on blood cholesterol. In terms of secondary endpoints, researchers observed a numerical reduction in total cholesterol, LDL particle number, another lipid biomarker called apoB, high-sensitivity troponin (a marker of heart damage), and insulin resistance scores in the fortified egg group, while vitamin B increased. Read: bring on the egg yolks.
A Harvard Medical School paper perfectly sums it up, here:
“In the past, it seemed logical to think eggs would be bad for your heart health. We knew that the cholesterol in eggs came from the egg yolks, and we knew that high levels of cholesterol, especially LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. So, it seemed logical that avoiding cholesterol in the diet made sense. Since then, however, research has shown that most of the cholesterol in our body is made by our liver — it doesn’t come from cholesterol we eat.”
All in all, eggs by themselves will not affect your cholesterol, but what you eat it with – especially processed foods – can impact to your overall health.
Pexels: Cottonbro
Should I stop eating eggs if I have high cholesterol?
Speaking generally, it is fine for most people to enjoy eggs. The more the merrier! As we outlined above, the cholesterol within eggs has no bearing on our blood cholesterol. Having said that with all medical questions, it’s best to consult your GP or healthcare practitioner if you have specific health queries.
What type of eggs should I buy?
Try to go for pasture-raised if you can. If money permits, organic is the holy grail, of course, but that often isn’t realistic on tight budgets. If you need to opt for conventional eggs they absolutely hit the mark, too. Regular eggs are far better than no eggs.
Are brown eggs better quality than white eggs?
Despite fables floating around that brown eggs are better quality, this is in fact untrue. Both varieties are full of nutrients. In fact, one indicator of quality is how thick the egg shell is. The thicker the shell, the better quality the egg, the happier the hen. It makes sense, really, that the hen has more to ‘give’ to the egg when she produces it.
