The high cholesterol content of eggs has given them a bad name for years. However, the latest research suggests that dietary cholesterol in the amounts typically consumed by most U.S. adults don’t have much impact on blood cholesterol levels. However, since they provide a greater, although indirect, boost to blood cholesterol levels, the bigger culprits are many other cholesterol-containing foods, such as fatty cuts of meat and full-fat dairy, which are rich in saturated fatty acids and should be avoided. Also, processed meats that are frequently paired with eggs, such as bacon, ham, and sausage, should be limited.
Most people can eat eggs (in moderate quantities) without raising their cholesterol. Eggs provide high quality protein and a number of nutrients, including vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium, choline, and iodine. On average, an egg a day or a couple of eggs every other day can be part of an overall healthy dietary pattern for most people without any adverse health consequences. Choosing eggs in place of refined carbohydrates like bagels and pancakes for breakfast is a healthy exchange–but avoid the fried white potatoes that often accompany the eggs.
What is more important is an overall healthy lifestyle that includes a good dietary pattern. Lifestyles include other factors, covered elsewhere, such as exercise, body weight, avoidance of smoking, etc. But what is meant by a “healthy dietary pattern” is the combination of everything one eats and drinks. A healthy pattern is one that provides all the essential nutrients our bodies need within the caloric requirements. Healthy patterns avoid excessive amounts of things we don’t need, like added sugar, salt, and calories. They also support a lower body weight that helps to keep blood pressure, blood sugar, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels within normal ranges. This lowers the risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, dementia, osteoporosis, and some types of cancer, even if these conditions run in one’s family. Overall dietary patterns have been found to be more important to health than individual foods such as eggs or other nutrients. In other words, don’t just count on so-called “superfoods” or supplements to keep you healthy—instead, work on improving the health benefits of the types of foods you eat and beverages you drink every day. There is no single perfect diet pattern. Instead, there are endless ways to get the variety and quantity of nutrients one needs to support a long and healthy life. This dietary pattern should be filled with healthy foods that are both enjoyable and satisfactory.
Research shows that a healthy diet pattern contains more of the following:
- whole and minimally processed plant foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, lentils, and peanuts), whole grains, and nuts/seeds
- fish/seafood
- fat-free and low-fat dairy products
- plant oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids and less: 0 highly processed foods
Research also shows that one should avoid the ones below:
- Highly processed foods in general
- meats (like hot dogs, sausage, and deli meats) and red meat (beef, pork, Iamb)
- sugar-sweetened beverages
- high saturated-fat foods (fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils)
Within these basic guidelines, one can customize the dietary pattern to include the foods that are also enjoyable.
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