How many eggs should i eat a day — Eggs are a popular breakfast food that offer a variety of nutritional benefits based on their size. The number of eggs you should eat depends on your dietary needs, health risks and how many eggs you are eating now. Eggs have been ostracized in recent years due to a rise in cholesterol levels. However, eggs are not the enemy, and they have numerous benefits to your health and body.
Well, the answer to that question is not simple and it really depends. We will have a closer look at some of the most important factors influencing our answer.
Eggs
Long-vilified for their high cholesterol content by well-meaning doctors and scientists researching heart disease, eggs now seem to be making a bit of a comeback. So what changed?
While it’s true that just one large egg yolk has 200 mg of cholesterol—making it one of the richest sources of dietary cholesterol—eggs also contain additional nutrients that may help lower the risk for heart disease. In addition, the moderate amount of fat in an egg, about 5 grams, is mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. It’s also crucial to distinguish between dietary cholesterol and cholesterol in the blood, which are only weakly related. The focus on dietary cholesterol alone was de-emphasized as more attention was placed on the influence of saturated and trans fat on blood cholesterol. Accordingly, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015 removed the prior recommendation to limit consumption of dietary cholesterol to 300 mg per day.
Eggs and Health
Research on moderate egg consumption in two large prospective cohort studies (nearly 40,000 men and over 80,000 women) found that up to one egg per day is not associated with increased heart disease risk in healthy individuals.
Eggs were previously associated with heart disease risk as a result of their high cholesterol content. However, a solid body of research shows that for most people, cholesterol in food has a smaller effect on blood levels of total cholesterol and harmful LDL cholesterol than does the mix of fats in the diet.
Of course, this research doesn’t give a green light to daily three-egg omelets. While a 2008 report from the Physicians’ Health Study supports the idea that eating an egg a day is generally safe for the heart, it also suggests that going much beyond that could increase the risk for heart failure later in life. You also need to pay attention to the “trimmings” that come with your eggs. To your cardiovascular system, scrambled eggs, salsa, and a 100% whole-wheat English muffin is a far different meal than scrambled eggs with cheese, sausages, home fries, and white toast.
People who have difficulty controlling their total and LDL cholesterol may also want to be cautious about eating egg yolks and instead choose foods made with egg whites. The same is true for people with diabetes. In studies including the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, heart disease risk was increased among men and women with diabetes who ate one or more eggs a day. For people who have diabetes and heart disease, it may be best to limit egg consumption to no more than three yolks per week.
Furthermore, to truly assess eggs and heart health, we need to examine how they stack-up to foods we might choose in their place—the classic nutrition substitution analysis. Using some common breakfast options as an example:
While eggs may be a much better choice than sugary, refined grain-based options like sweetened breakfast cereals, pancakes with syrup, muffins, or bagels, they may fall short of other options. A bowl of steel-cut oats with nuts and berries, for example, will be a much better choice for heart health than an egg-centric breakfast. Consumption of whole grains and fruit predict lower risk of heart disease, and when it comes to protein, plant sources like nuts and seeds are related to lower cardiovascular and overall mortality, especially when compared to red meat or eggs.
Am I Eating Too Many Eggs? How to Tell
Q: “Is there such a thing as too many whole eggs or egg yolks? I know they contain cholesterol, but I’m currently eating six a day while cutting.”
Answer: Whoa, there! Six eggs a day is a hell of a lot, no matter how you cut it. An egg has 187 mg of cholesterol, and the recommended limit is 300 mg per day—or only 200 mg if you have diabetes or risk factors for heart disease. “You can definitely go with with one egg a day,” says Maxine Smith, R.D., L.D. a dietician at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition. “Though if you’re high risk, limit yourself to two per week.”
Note that we’re talking about yolks here. You can have unlimited egg whites, which are mostly protein (and not a whole lot else).
Egg yolks have undergone a renaissance in the nutrition mindset, thanks to extensive research suggesting that egg yolks really aren’t to blame for high levels of cholesterol.
The recommendation is still to be conservative, says Smith, because some people have an outsized response to dietary cholesterol. “But we don’t know who those people are,” she explains. And if you are also eating a diet high in saturated fat, the cholesterol in eggs can have a more profound effect on your bad “LDL” cholesterol levels.
Eating the same foods day after day may help you maintain your weight. “It’s about limiting choices,” explains Smith. But it’s better to have variety in your diet, so if you are going to consume an egg every day, have it with salsa, or with spinach and wheat toast.
And if you need to cut back on eggs? Try another type of breakfast that contains a range of foods you can repeat day after day—like oatmeal with mixed berries and milk—and turn to other lean sources of protein, like grilled chicken, fish, black beans, and nut butters.
How many is too many eggs?
There is no specific number of eggs that a person should eat as part of a healthy diet. Experts once considered eggs to be an unhealthy food source in terms of high cholesterol and heart problem concerns. The fact that egg yolk contains a high level of cholesterol was the primary cause of this belief.
Healthcare professionals once thought that consuming cholesterol could significantly increase the levels of cholesterol in the body, which can increase the risk of heart disease.
However, research has since shown that eggs do not increase the risk of heart disease.
Cholesterol in the body
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that has a range of essential functions in the body. Its roles range from supporting the production of new cells and hormones to forming fat-dissolving bile acids and helping with the absorption of vitamins.
Scientists now understand that the cholesterol that people consume from foods only has a small impact on cholesterol levels in the body.
The majority of cholesterol production takes place in the liver. The main influencing factor for this is not how much cholesterol someone consumes but other factors, such as the amount of saturated fat in the diet.
In the past, there was also a misunderstanding about the role of cholesterol in the body. However, more recent research has now challenged this as well.
‘Good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol levels
The way cholesterol moves through the bloodstream is relevant to the impact that it can have.
Either low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or high-density lipoproteins (HDL) transport cholesterol.
HDL is responsible for collecting cholesterol that is no longer needed, and LDL transports cholesterol to areas where it is needed.
Unusually high levels of LDL cholesterol are typically unhealthy because they can build up and cause clogging in the arteries. This buildup of cholesterol can increase the risk of heart attack.
Many people consider HDL cholesterol to be “healthier” than LDL cholesterol, as it plays a role in removing cholesterol from the body.
An improved understanding of how cholesterol works in the body means that it is now unclear whether high levels of cholesterol are always unhealthy.
For example, one recent review of existing studies found no significant link between dietary cholesterol and heart disease. However, a high daily consumption of eggs was associated with a higher incidence of heart disease.
The number of eggs you can have in a day
01/5How many is too many?
Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. One whole egg contains all the necessary nutrients required by our body. It is a complete source of protein, rich in vitamin B12, vitamin D and several other antioxidants, which together help to keep us healthy and prevent chronic diseases. However, consuming too many eggs in a day is not considered good for health due to the high cholesterol content in the yolk. Besides, too many eggs are also linked with stomach related ailments. In this article, we will tell you how many eggs you can eat safely in a day.
02/5Eggs and cholesterol levels
Consuming too many eggs in a day is believed to increase the level of bad cholesterol in the body. It is because of the presence of a high amount of cholesterol in the egg yolks. One egg yolk contains approximately 200 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol and its daily recommended level is not more than 300 mg per day. But recent studies confirmed that dietary cholesterol had little influence on the levels of total and bad cholesterol in the body. In fact, it is dietary saturated fats that raise the level of LDL cholesterol.
03/5How many is too many?
When we talk about how many eggs one can safely have in a day there is no specific answer. It differs from person to person and their overall health. As per a recent study, an average healthy person can safely consume up to seven eggs per week. If you are not suffering from any health issues or have not witnessed any kind of side-effects, you can easily consume up to three eggs in a day.
04/5Side-effects of eating too many eggs
Eggs are healthy and nutritious, but it does not mean that you can have them as much as you want. To live a long and healthy life, it is important to include every kind of food in your diet. Excess of any food can turn harmful for health and the same goes for eggs.
Consuming too many eggs in a day, particularly in the summer, may cause heat build-up in the body which could lead to problems in bowel movement. Besides, it can even lead to diarrhoea, especially in the case of small kids. So, it is important to control your intake.
05/5The bottom line
Till now no study or research has been able to clearly state the maximum number of eggs a person can eat in a day. More research in this area is needed to come to any conclusion. It is always recommended to eat any food in moderation. Too much of healthy food items can also be detrimental to health.
Health Benefits of Eggs
They Offer Complete Protein
One egg has 6 grams of the stuff, with all nine “essential” amino acids, the building blocks of protein. That’s important because those are the ones your body can’t make by itself. The egg white holds about half that protein and only a small portion of the fat and cholesterol.
They’re Nutrient Dense
That means eggs have more nutrients — vitamins, minerals, amino acids — per calorie than most other foods. Have an egg and you’ll get:
- High-quality protein
- Selenium
- Phosphorus
- Choline
- Vitamin B12
- Multiple antioxidants, which help keep your cells healthy
They Help Your ‘Good’ Cholesterol
This “good” cholesterol, called HDL, seems to go up in people who have three or more eggs a day. Of course, LDL, the “bad” type, goes up, too. But the individual pieces of each get bigger. That makes it harder for the bad stuff to hurt you and easier for the good stuff to clear it away.
They Can Lower Your Triglycerides
Your doctor tests you for these along with HDL and LDL. Lower triglycerides are better for your health. Eating eggs, especially those enriched with certain fatty acids (like omega-3s), seems to bring down your levels.
They Can Lower Your Odds of a Stroke
Though studies vary, it appears that a daily egg might lower your risk. In a recent Chinese study, people who had about one a day were almost 30% less likely to die from hemorrhagic stroke than those who had none.
They Help With Portion Control
At about 70 calories per egg, you know exactly what you are getting. And they travel easy, too. Hard boil a couple and stick ‘em in your cooler. Add a salad or a couple of slices of bread and you’ve got a quick, healthy lunch.
They’re Affordable
At 20 cents a serving, you can’t beat it for a high-quality protein that won’t break the bank. Add a slice of whole-grain toast, some avocado, and a little hot sauce, and you have a meal fit for a king at a pauper’s price. And you don’t have to worry about sugar or carbs because eggs don’t have either.
They’re Heart Healthy
Surprised? It’s true. Overall, people who eat more of them don’t seem to raise their chances of heart disease. Even people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes were just as heart healthy after a high-egg diet designed for weight loss. In a recent Chinese study, people who ate about an egg a day were almost 20% lesslikely than non-egg eaters to develop heart disease.
They Satisfy
Have them for breakfast and you’ll feel full longer. That’ll make you more likely to eat less throughout the day. For example, on average, teens who eat an egg in the morning have 130 fewer calories at lunch.
They Help Your Eyes
Doctors know that the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin help keep you from getting eye diseases like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale have them, too. But eggs are a better source. That’s because the fat they have makes it easier for your body to use the nutrients.