Eggs are in the news again. Is it good news this time or bad news?
Well–it’s both. Yet again, eggs are confusing us all by being nutritious, but associated with certain health risks.
According to recent studies, the news looks good if you’re a woman trying to avoid breast cancer; not quite so good if you’re a middle aged man who eats more than one a day.
The Good News: Eggs and Breast Cancer
A recent study out of the University of North Carolina suggests that women who consumed more choline, a nutrient found in eggs, had a reduced risk of breast cancer. The study involved 3,000 women and concluded that those who got the most of the nutrient had a 24% lower risk of developing breast cancer.
Choline is found only in the yolk of the egg. It’s also present in other food, like liver, wheat germ and cauliflower, coffee, and skim milk. According to the researchers, only about 10% of Americans get enough of it.
(Previous research, like a 2003 Harvard study, has also shown an association between egg consumption and reduced breast cancer risk.)
Now the Bad News: Middle Aged Men May Want to be Cautious
A 20 year study of male physicians published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition had some unfortunate news for men who ate more than 6 eggs a week: they had a higher risk of earlier death. Men with diabetes died sooner if they ate any eggs at all.
Researchers concluded that while “egg consumption of up to six eggs a week was not associated with the risk of all-cause mortality, consumption of (seven or more) eggs a week was associated with a 23 percent greater risk of death.”
However, the men who ate the most eggs were older, fatter, ate more vegetables but less breakfast cereal, and were more likely to drink alcohol, smoke and less likely to exercise.
This caveat makes one wonder: are egg-eating physicians less healthy generally than granola-crunching physicians? One would presume that these factors were taken into account in the data analysis, but if not, perhaps the eggs weren’t the real culprit.
Researchers suggested further study was needed. In the meantime, Dr. Robert Eckel, a nutrition expert from the University of Colorado (and former president of the American Heart Association) urged caution for middle-aged men.
Do you eat eggs? Do you plan to continue?
I grew up with the idea that eggs were a healthy way to get protein for breakfast. Then came the news they had Evil Cholesterol, and many health-conscious folks like me started to avoid them.
Then researchers figured out that the cholesterol in the eggs wasn’t all that problematic, and eggs started to look like a great convenient choice again. (I get tired of yogurt every morning, and morning alternatives often seem to involved smoked or cured meats–foods I have more concerns about than I do about eggs).
I probably eat about 7 eggs a week myself, the kind with a bit of an Omega-3 boost, and don’t plan to stop. But then I’m female and getting tired of the back-and-forth on eggs.
How about you folks? Are you chicken to eat eggs or do you gobble them with gusto?
If you like eggs but don’t want to get extra cholesterol, you need to use only the egg whites because egg whites contains no cholesterol. You may also use cholesterol-free egg substitutes, which are made with egg whites.
Eggs are the perfect choice for breakfast. The protein in eggs provides steady and sustained energy that starts your day off right.
If you eat eggs then you are not a vegan, Ding Dong
To me eggs is my favorite. so easy to cook but what i don’t like is the yellow inside the egg. It will choke me easily. i can eat eggs as many as i can. i don’t limit myself. I can say that i have a good appetite to eggs.
I eat 40+ a week, I am 40 years old, I lift pretty heavy M-W-F so the protein helps.
Wife is worried about cholesterol, I am not.
I trust the FDA, and just about any Govt. agency about as far as I can spit, So I really dont care what they say……
Actually factory farming, which produces roughly 95% of eggs in the US, contributes more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation industry combined. Thus if greenhouse gases do contribute to global warming, eating eggs contributes to global warming.
I love eggs. I’m going to eat them as long as hens lay them.
Finally someone who know what they are talking about. So much “myth” out there about what our bodies really need. Good post.
For any who is confused about this article please research the work Brian Peskin has done. It will change they way you look at eating and help see how wrong this study is. When did our modern day problems begin(heart disease, cancers, diabetes)? Not when eggs where a major food source but when processed foods started to be produced and consumed. Why? Because they lack what you body needs. If you care about your health please take the time to research his work.
I feel like people are retarded. This is very easily answered: Egg white is pure protein and very healthy. Egg yolk is condensed fat and cholesterol and is generally unhealthy. If you want to eat eggs and be healthy, throw away most of the egg yolks and you’re good to go. End of discussion.
What a bunch of sissy la las. Grow up and decide for yourself. I eat eggs all of the time, have low cholesterol, 6′ and 185 lbs. Stop reading stupid research and live your life!
Meant pesticides my typing is done with two fingers!!!!
I eat eggs often as very little meat in my diet. I am afraid to eat chicken with all the pesticies. Also consume alot of beans and pasta. Eggs are delicious and can be made so many different ways.
Eggs are disgusting.Eggs are the hen’s time of the month put neatly into a shell.They are the hen’s menstruation already to become a new life.It is no different from a woman’s at 3 months of pregnancy.They are also dangerous because of the cholesterol.
i agree with you. big drug companys want you to think that eggs are bad for you, infact eggs are one of the most nutricious things you can eat.
Just to interject, my father ate two eggs with bacon every morning for probably around 50 years, never had high cholesterol or high blood pressure in his life and only lived to age 95. When asked how he liked his eggs, his response, “I like em”.
One fact, he did stay very active to about age 93 so that probably helped.
Egg YOLKS have arachadonic acid and bad ecosonoids and along with red meat(same problem) are the worst things you can eat. Throw the yolks away and it’s fine.
There is nothing that would prevent me from eating a few scrambled eggs with bacon or get some eggs benedict if im eating out for breakfast. I eat about 8 whole eggs per week on average. Im just as healthy as the next guy, never work out and as long as i can get the fork to my mouth I will always enjoy some greasy fatty eggs with bacon/sausage for breakfast.
You only live once, so might as well eat what you want when ever you want!
As much as I hate Egg Beaters I still have to buy them (they don’t break in a backpack when I ride my motorcycle), so I like that they’ve added yolks now. I miss real eggs tho
dude anything u eat is gonna have risk if your so worried about it then dont eat them.. but then there will be something else that has a risk that you wont wanna eat so you might as well not eat.. or just eat the dang thing an suck it up
I am a vegetarian and I eat three eggs every day (that’s 21 a week)either raw or lightly cooked. Eggs are a healthy cheap food. However, for those who eat meat, I would not recommend eating so many eggs. I buy eggs from local people, usually eggs from pastured chickens. Do not buy factory farm eggs!
Eggs are definitely good for you. You cannot trust anything you hear from the FDA. And lobbyists are a true evil in the world that prevent “truth” from making it into your homes. The entire time eggs were being taunted as “bad”, the independent news sources were saying they are good.
Also BUTTER is good for you as well. The saturated fat content in them comes from animals, but is good as long as they were grass fed. Margarine is the DEVIL. Stay away from it or anything made with it. HYDROGENATED OILS are the biggest evil in the world right next to refined sugar and flour.
I’m 20, a male college student, in shape, work out three days a week. I eat a ton of eggs. probably eat eggs 5 times a week, 5 eggs at a time. Ive done this for about 2 years. Should i take it easy?
Those eggs are photoshopped. I can tell by the pixels.
I’m so confused over how healthy eggs are. I usually eat maybe 2-4 eggs a week and whenever I do, my father(who has high cholestol) tells me I’ll have a heart attack by the time I’m 21. Thanks dad.
So my question is, how healthy are they really? I mean I keep finding conflicting research over this topic and I’m a bit skeptical.
Based on your research, I think I’ll stick with the number I eat every week though.
Thank you!
hey sara, protein supplements are a good source of protein, you only need as a women 0.75 maybe 0.85grams per kg of body weight depending on exercise. taking 2 shakes a day might be to much as protein is found in lots of foods and you will be surprized how much protein you have with out protein shakes.
i used to do the same, then i started studying fitness and now a personal trainer. excess protein can lead to kidney dysfunction with an intake equal or greater then, 1.5grams/kg. With high protein intake the body excretes more calcium through unrine wihch can lead to a decrease in bone density meaning more prone to fractures. so an efficient amount of calcium is needed aswell. you also have to drinks lots of water, approx 1litre per 25/g. but maybe a 1/2 a litre more to help with protein metabolism which will put less pressure on your kidneys and liver.
just a little information for you there.
i know this is an old post blah blah.. but this made me laugh so much i couldn’t help but say something.. i’m 28 yrs old (M) 6ft tall and 75kg been that weight since 19 or so.. and i’ve ate eggs since i was 2 or so i dont work out everyday but my work gives me enough workout for 8straight hours.. so umm are eggs the way they will finally de-evolve us? zomg i better stop eating them.. lol grow up and eat what you feel is right studies are done by people who get payed for it.. they dont just do it for fun, they get paid to make you say wow zomg i better buy more (or less) i eat what i want when i want and if i dont like it i stop.. no studdy is going to tell me what to eat.
boiled eggs cut ur risk of breast cancer by 44% ladies so eat boiled eggs because they are the healthiest kind of egg!! eat the whole thing because the yolk cuts the risk not the white part!!
mmmm… slap some cheese on that with a side of bacon and peanut butter and powder sugar covered pancakes, delicious.
btw… so you would be like a… steamed carrot or something? idk but im about to be fried chicken in an hour.
I EAT 3 EGGS EVERYDAY FOR BREAKFAST AND HAVE FOR MANY YEARS.ONE DAY THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOU THEN THERE BAD, ALL I KNOW IF I HAVE MY EGGS I CAN LAST TILL NOON OR LATER WITH NO HUNGER PROBLEM.
I dont like eggs. I eat egg whites after working out just because is the best protein available, and if you use only the egg whites they have only 0.5 grams of fat!
I am definitely not going to stop eating my Omega-3 eggs. It’s a great snack and contains healthy fat. I try to have at least 1 a day either in sandwich form or hardboiled. I think the debate will continue for as long as eggs are edible and I trust the advice of health/nutrition professionals. I purchase Eggland: Omega 3 and no hormones/antibiotics.
I don’t eat ANY since I’m a vegan and have felt perfect, calm & collected for as long as can remember. Beat that!
Eating an multi-cellular developing embryo which has blood hemoglobyn chains/enzymes/puss/injected chemicals floating in it encapsulated into a shell, that came out of some malformed/overweight/drugged/abused bird that can’t even fly which releases streams of nervous neurotransmitters with each delivery of eggs (that are full of cholesterol and a bear a few other undiscovered/undiagnosed diseases at the present time) just places all of these sickness factors within you, destabilizing your RNA/DNA communication ruining your health in the long run as well as binding you closer to this planet & dimension. (no wonder the Christian Bible supports egg cosumption, just another layer of this age-long sick plan to entrap/de-evolve this species)
In the end, You Are What You EAT.
I find that hardboiled eggs make a very satisfying and convenient snack… but I don’t know about the health benefits/risks. They should do a scientifically controlled study!
Am a very frequest egg eater n eat upto 30 eggs a week.i enjoy the different flavours I make of eggs n I dont think I would enjoy such in any other food.no plans of quitting now. I am 6 fts tall n weigh 67 kgs.
I’m a breast cancer survivor and definitely don’t plan to begin eating more egg yolks anytime soon. I’ve been eating the whites and usually avoiding the yolks for almost 15 years. I follow the Zone diet, lost 100 pounds with it 13 years ago, and have kept it off. Lowering inflammaton levels is one of the basics of the Zone. Egg yolks, even those engineered to contain more omaga 3′s, contain high levels of arachidonic acid, which increases inflammation. As the previous commentor stated, modertaion is key.
I saw the stupidest thing ever in the store today…”Egg Beaters with Yolks”. Come on. Why not just buy REAL eggs and mix a whole egg in with a few whites to get the same dang effect? The Egg Beaters have stabilizers and preservatives, plus they cost more. Human laziness has reached a new high, I think.