Are chicken eggs good or bad for cholesterol?

Chicken eggs are high in cholesterol, and a diet high in cholesterol can contribute to high blood cholesterol levels. Is that what you think about eggs......think again

Nutritionists all over the world have an excellent track record of demonizing healthy foods. Coconut oil, cheese and red meat are few among the victims but, the worst example is their decades of propaganda against eggs, which are among the healthiest foods on the planet.

                                  Eggs

Generally eggs have been considered unhealthy because they contain cholesterol. A large egg contains 186-212 mg of cholesterol, which is a lot compared to most other foods. However, it has been observed and proved, time and time again, that eggs and dietary cholesterol do NOT adversely affect cholesterol levels in the blood. In fact, eggs raise HDL (the good) cholesterol. They also change LDL cholesterol from small, dense LDL (which is bad) to large LDL, which is benign.

Many researchers conducted prospective studies on egg consumption and health. They discovered that eggs had no association with either heart disease or stroke in otherwise healthy people. Despite the fear mongering of the past few decades, eating eggs and cholesterol has no association whatsoever with heart disease.

But, If you already have cardiovascular disease, diabetes or bad cholesterol level (LDL) in your blood is high, you should limit your dietary cholesterol to less than 200 mg a day. One large egg has about 186 mg of cholesterol. Therefore, if you eat an egg on a given day, it's important to limit other sources of cholesterol for the rest of that day. Consider substituting servings of vegetables for servings of meat, or avoid high-fat dairy products for that day.

If you enjoy eggs, I see no reason why they should not be included in a healthy diet. Stick to those with high omega-3 content from organically raised chickens. If you like eggs but don't want the extra cholesterol, use only the egg whites it doesn't contain any cholesterol as all the cholesterol found in eggs is limited to its yolk. You may also use cholesterol-free egg substitutes, which are made with egg whites.

The egg white is also a good source of riboflavin and selenium along with essential vitamins such as folate, B12, niacin betaine and choline. The yolk is certainly high in cholesterol but as with any cholesterol-rich food, egg yolks also contain essential nutrients and fatty acids. The egg white has a lot less nutrients than the yolk, but it is still a healthier choice over the whole egg.