Eggs are mostly related to high cholesterol level. Hence most of the people are often confused about how many eggs they should eat per day. This article will act as a guide for you and answer your questions.
So, what is an egg?
As per Wikipedia, the female animals of various species lay eggs. Eggs are laid by birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and also fishes. Human beings feed on these eggs for thousands of years.
The eggs of birds and reptiles have some thin membranes and albumen (egg white), vitellus(egg yolk) along with a hard protective eggshell form a major part of it. Humans mostly feed on chicken eggs. Duck and quail poultry eggs are also eaten. Caviar and roe are some familiar names given to fish eggs.
How Many Eggs Should You Eat Per Day?
Eggs are an essential part of your diet. Since they are rich in protein, bodybuilders, and people involved in regular exercise eat it a lot.
The amount of intake of egg, however, varies from person to person as per their need. Some experts suggest that 2 eggs should be eaten per day, while others say that 3 eggs should be consumed per day.
Although, let’s have a look on how many eggs should be correctly eaten on a per day basis.
2 Eggs Per Day
As per the author of The Small Change Diet, Keri Gans, eating two eggs per day is completely normal for an average person and can turn out to be healthy too.
She further adds that the person should be concerned about how much saturated fat they consume per day.
Though two eggs per day are considered healthy, but for someone who eats scrambled eggs with a lot of cheese toppings, the level of saturated fat intake increases immediately.
Even the calorie intake increases which can probe dangers for health. Hence, you should be really careful with your regular saturated fat intake.
3 Eggs Per Day
However, there are other studies which suggest that you should eat 3 eggs per day. Eating two to six yolks per week is often recommended.
In these studies, a group of people was divided into two groups, the first group was given several whole eggs to consume, whereas the other one was given the substitute of eggs. The research was carried on these group of people for weeks/months.
The results showed that the level of carotenoid antioxidants such as Lutein and Zeaxanthin increased a bit in blood and the level of good cholesterol also increased(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
Also, consuming eggs rich in Omega-3 lowered the level of triglycerides in the blood which is a risk for the human body (7, 8).
The study also found that most significantly, the level of bad cholesterol sometimes varies due to egg consumption (9, 10, 11, 12).
The egg consumption, however, does not have a significant effect on Total or LDL cholesterol of 70% people whereas the other 30% may experience a slight increase in their Total or LDL cholesterol.
The studies have found that the small and dense LDL particles are often changed into large. The risk of heart diseases is low for the people having large particles of LDL. Therefore, a slight increase in the size of LDL particles isn’t much a matter of concern.
So, consuming 3 eggs per day can be considered healthy for average people who try to stay healthy and fit.
1 Egg Per Day
Maxine Smith, E.D., L.D., the dietician at Cleveland Clinic’s Centre for Human Nutrition recommends that you should eat one egg on a daily basis. He also suggests that the egg consumption should be limited to 2 per week in case you’re at a higher risk of developing any health issues.
A whole egg has 187 mg of cholesterol. The daily recommended intake of cholesterol is 300 mg, and if you are a diabetic person, your recommended daily intake of cholesterol is 200 mg.
It has also been found that eating 1 egg per day is healthy as well and does not have any effect on developing risks of heart health.
Even eating two or three eggs per day does not probe any danger to the heart health of the individual, but it can lead to developing the risk of diabetes.
Although there are a few more studies which have suggested that eating 5 or more weeks on a per week basis can probe certain health risks for the healthy men and women. It can develop the risk of heart failure for men and breast cancer for women. These studies aren’t much strong.
It is yet unknown how unsafe is eating more than 3 eggs because no proper scientific studies have determined it. The person may likely be affected by eating more than 3 eggs on a daily basis. Your overall diet can have an impact on your health.
Eating three eggs on a daily basis can be healthy for healthy people. If any diabetic person consumes more than one egg on a regular basis, the risk of heart diseases may increase.
Although, more than the number of eggs eaten on a daily basis isn’t as important as the overall diet, as far as your health is concerned.
If you wish to be fit and healthy, one egg can be helpful. Though this does not have much of an impact if you are a normal healthy person. Your health can be affected if you are a diabetic person.
So, make sure you limit your consumption of egg if you are suffering from any health issues.
Health Benefits of Eating Eggs Everyday
Despite being tasty, eggs are highly nutritious which is why it has many benefits. Some of the benefits of eating eggs are mentioned as follows:
1) Since eggs are rich in carotenoid antioxidants like Lutein and Zeaxanthin, it has a significant impact in reducing eye diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts.
2) Being rich in animal protein, it helps to increase the muscle mass. It also has a significant impact on improving the bone health of the individual.
3) Eggs are also rich in an essential brain nutrient, choline. 90% of the people lack in the presence of choline.
4) Several studies have linked egg consumption to weight loss.
5) Eggs are a high source of protein with the right ratio of the amino acids. This factor attributes towards gaining muscle mass and also regulates the blood pressure.
6) Eggs are known for its quality of significantly increasing the good cholesterol or the high-density lipoprotein content of the body. This, in turn, lowers the risk of several health issues such as heart disease and stroke.
7) Eggs reduce the risk of heart diseases by turning the small particles of cholesterol to the larger ones. People having small particles of bad cholesterol are at a higher risk of developing any heart disease.
8) Eggs are pretty nutritious and have all the essential nutrients which are required for a healthy body.
9) The eggs in rich Omega-3 have a significant impact in lowering the triglyceride level of blood.
What is More Nutritious & Healthy?: Egg Whites vs. Egg Yolks
Regarding consumption of eggs, the most frequent asked question is what is better, the yolk or the white?
Both of them are rich in dietary proteins, but the amount varies in both the conditions.
Eggs white are low in calorie and are the fat-free food whereas egg yolks have cholesterol and are rich in fats as well as saturated fats. The protein content of egg white is about 4 grams and 55mg of sodium with only 17 calories.
As far as the egg yolk is concerned, it consists 55 calories with a total of 4.5 grams of fat and 1.6 gram of saturated fats. It also contains 210 mg of cholesterol with 8mg of sodium and 2.7 grams of protein.
The egg white contains 1.3 micrograms of folate and 6.6 mcg of selenium with 2.3 mg of calcium. It also includes 3.6 gram of magnesium, 4.9 mg of phosphorous and 53.8 mg of potassium as well.
Egg whites are slightly rich in protein content as compared to that of egg yolks.
As suggested by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Nutrient Database, the protein content of one large egg white is 3.6 gram whereas that of egg yolk is 2.6gm. Egg whites are rich in protein, but yolks are beneficial as it contains sufficient amount of Vitamin A, phosphorous, iron, zinc and vitamin D. Egg yolks are also known for its property of being rich in dietary cholesterol.
The USDA suggests that egg yolks have 184mg of dietary cholesterol whereas egg whites are completely cholesterol free.
How many grams of Proteins are in an Egg?
In a large egg, the protein content is about 6.3 grams, which has significant effects on the level of blood pressure.
As a meta-analysis published in “PLOS ONE” in August 2010, the high level of dietary protein leads to a slight decrease in blood pressure.
As per a research conducted at the Jilin University of China, the protein component, peptide present in the egg whites will have a similar impact on blood pressure as that of medications ACE inhibitors. This was published in an article in ‘Daily Mail” in April 2013.
How much Cholesterol is in an Egg?
A large egg contains about 186mg of cholesterol. Because of such high cholesterol content, some people refrain from eating eggs as they believe it may increase the risk of heart disease.
As per an a meta-analysis published in “British Medical Journal” of 2013, eating one egg doesn’t have a significant impact on the increased risk of heart disease or stroke. But, it may slightly increase the risk in case of diabetic people.
Can Children Eat Eggs Daily for Breakfast?
Eggs usually make up for a nutritious breakfast but feeding the kid an egg daily can be a bad idea because of the high cholesterol content of egg yolk.
As reported by the American Heart Association, arterial plaque often begins in childhood, and a kid who eats eggs daily or has a high cholesterol intake are likely to develop the risk of heart diseases in their adulthood.
As egg whites are free of cholesterol, It is safe to eat on a daily basis, but yolks aren’t recommended despite being nutritious. Experts suggest eating three or four eggs on the weekly basis is safer than the regular consumption.
Are Eggs Good For Weight Loss?
Eggs are low in calories, a whole egg contains about 78 calories and is highly nutritious. Being very rich in nutrients and proteins, eggs often offer for a feeling of fullness.
Eggs also play an important role in reducing the appetite as it is high in protein. Because of the presence of all the essential amino acids, inadequate ratio, eggs play an important role in enhancing the metabolism of the body with the help of process of the thermic effect of food.
It has also been found that eating eggs during breakfast can substantially reduce your weight. Over a period of 8 weeks, the egg breakfast can essentially reduce weight.
Though the egg yolk is high in cholesterol leads to weight gain, an egg has always been associated with weight loss. For this reason, some people with a fitness routine eat the egg without the yolk.
Is it Bad to Eat Eggs Every Day?
For a healthy person, it is quite natural to consume eggs on a daily basis.
Although, Beth Warren, R.D.N., founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Living a Real Life with Real Food suggests that the food within the diet must be rotated every three days, to obtain a balanced amount of vitamins and get all the required nutrients.
Eggs can be a complete diet, “as long as the total saturated fat in the diet per day is accounted for”, as said by Warren.
However, the egg consumption should be limited to one whole egg per day to avoid the health risks.
Final Thoughts
Eggs are highly nutritious foods, which does not probe much of a danger to the health of a healthy person.
The answer to the question “How many eggs should you eat per day”, varies from research to research. But you can include eggs in your diet depending upon the health conditions.
Eggs are eaten to have a significant impact on your health, but if you prefer to avoid certain health problems, you should limit your yolk consumption. Until then, enjoy the various recipes of delicious yet nutritious eggs. Happy eating.