Yup. Eggs are a source of bioavailable protein and whole eggs seem to pump up muscle protein synthesis more than just egg whites [1]. Eggs contain nearly all vitamins and every trace mineral [2]. They are also rich in choline, a nutrient that 90% of Americans don’t get enough of [3].
An egg yolk also contains around ~200 mg of cholesterol.
However, blood cholesterol is regulated internally and in most individuals cholesterol intake does not significantly increase blood cholesterol levels. Thus, over the last few years we have seen cholesterol removed from the dietary guidelines and even the American Heart Association has published an advisory document questioning the limitation of dietary cholesterol [4].
“For both dietary cholesterol and egg consumption, the published literature does not generally support statistically significant associations with cardiovascular disease risk.”
Carson et al., 2020 [4]
So, for the majority of the population eggs have a big upside with no significant downsides.
This isn’t really the complete story though as a recent meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that increasing egg consumption does slightly increase cholesterol [5] and this finding is likely driven by the 10-30% of the population that hyper-responds to cholesterol consumption [6-8].
“The majority of the population has no or only a mild increase in serum cholesterol when they consume a large amount of dietary cholesterol…On the other hand, a small proportion of the population has a much larger increase in serum cholesterol (≥2.3 mg/dL increase in serum cholesterol in response to 100 mg dietary cholesterol)—these individuals are classified as hyper-responders.”
Blesso and Luz Fernandez, 2018 [7]
To know if you are a hyper-responder to dietary cholesterol and if your consumption of eggs or dietary cholesterol is potentially increasing your individual risk of cardiovascular disease you would have to see a qualified physician who understands the nuances of this entire subject.
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REFERENCES:
1. van Vliet, S., et al., Consumption of whole eggs promotes greater stimulation of postexercise muscle protein synthesis than consumption of isonitrogenous amounts of egg whites in young men. Am J Clin Nutr, 2017. 106(6): p. 1401-1412.
2. Rehault-Godbert, S., N. Guyot, and Y. Nys, The Golden Egg: Nutritional Value, Bioactivities, and Emerging Benefits for Human Health. Nutrients, 2019. 11(3).
3. Wallace, T.C. and V.L. Fulgoni, 3rd, Assessment of Total Choline Intakes in the United States. J Am Coll Nutr, 2016. 35(2): p. 108-12.
4. Carson, J.A.S., et al., Dietary Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Risk: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation, 2020. 141(3): p. e39-e53.
5. Li, M.Y., et al., Association between Egg Consumption and Cholesterol Concentration: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients, 2020. 12(7).
6. Kern, S., et al., The distribution of apolipoprotein E genotype over the adult lifespan and in relation to country of birth. Am J Epidemiol, 2015. 181(3): p. 214-7.
7. Blesso, C.N. and M.L. Fernandez, Dietary Cholesterol, Serum Lipids, and Heart Disease: Are Eggs Working for or Against You? Nutrients, 2018. 10(4).
8. Lecerf, J.M. and M. de Lorgeril, Dietary cholesterol: from physiology to cardiovascular risk. Br J Nutr, 2011. 106(1): p. 6-14.
About Author: Mario Mendias
