The past few days our posts have highlighted how “eggcellent” eggs can be for your health! Inevitably when discussing this versatile food, the issue of cholesterol comes up.
Although eggs are rich in cholesterol, they do not – as it was long believed – increase cholesterol levels. However, studies that allegedly prove that the consumption of chicken eggs contributes to increased blood cholesterol levels or even poses a risk of heart attack have long been refuted. The Mayo Clinic notes that,
Although some studies have found a link between eating eggs and heart disease, there may be other reasons for these findings. The foods people typically eat with eggs, such as bacon, sausage and ham, may do more to boost heart disease risk than eggs do. Plus, the way eggs and other foods are cooked — especially if fried in oil or butter — may play more of a role in the increased risk of heart disease than eggs themselves do.
Many current studies have even shown the opposite: the lecithin in the egg yolk tends to lower cholesterol levels. The fact that pharmaceutical companies, doctors, and the margarine industry in general earn a lot of money by “bad mouthing” cholesterol is a possible explanation why the cholesterol myth continues to persist.
More information:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol/faq-20058468
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1559827619892198
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/are-eggs-risky-for-heart-health
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