Much to many’s surprise, the egg is really quite incredible (and of course edible). It was once believed and is still a common thought that consuming too many eggs will raise ones cholesterol levels. This is an old and very outdated hypothesis which stated that dietary cholesterol causes a significant increase in blood cholesterol, thereby correlating with heart disease (source). This statement has since been laid to rest and there are a lot of health benefits of eating eggs.
Many studies have confirmed that dietary cholesterol has little to do with cholesterol seen in the body. In fact, cholesterol is so important to your body that if we don’t eat enough of it our liver will make the cholesterol needed to sustain the body. As a matter of fact, studies show (1, 2, 3) that low cholesterol shares an extremely strong correlation to depression, suicide and acts of violence. The cholesterol in egg yolks provides strong health-protective properties and plays a key role in immune strength and mental health as well as many other benefits.
IMPORTANCE of Cholesterol:
BENEFITS of eggs:
NUTRIENTS in the yolk:
Some would say that having two egg yolks a day is more valuable than any multivitamin. Check out the nutrients in these things.
- Vitamin A – This vitamin is necessary for balanced hormones. Since vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, it is paired with the healthful fats in the yolk so we can absorb it.
- Vitamin D – Like vitamin A, vitamin D is another fat-soluble vitamin sorely lacking from the Western diet. The vast majority of individuals do not receive adequate vitamin D from sunlight.
- Choline – More than 90% of Americans are deficient in this B vitamin and one pastured egg yolks provides 35% of your daily value of choline. Choline serves various functions in our bodies including the structure of cell membranes, protecting our livers from accumulating fat as well as detoxifying it. Choline supplementation has been shown to reduce memory loss and is the precursor molecule for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to name a few.
- Selenium – Selenium is necessary for the conversion of thyroid hormones from the inactive form to the active form. Egg yolks are nature’s thyroid support supplement, due to the selenium content, vitamin content and healthful fats.
- Iodine – Pastured egg yolks are a valuable source of iodine, with one egg yolk containing 27 micrograms of iodine.
- Biotin – This B-vitamin plays a key role in skin, hair, metabolic and blood-sugar health.
- Omega-3 fatty acids – Pastured egg yolks are particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the anti-inflammatory fats are crucial for total health.
- Cholesterol – As stated above.
Choosing THE RIGHT egg:
When choosing your eggs, go for pastured, organic or farm fresh. These eggs have five times more vitamin D, two-thirds more vitamin A, three times more vitamin E and seven times more beta carotene. You can see the difference, the darker the yolk the better the nutrients.
Just eat the yolks folks!
And PLEASE NO EGG BEATERS! They are just egg whites with about 20 other ingredients to make up for the yolk they removed. A WHOLE egg = a WHOLE food.
NOTE: The egg white, either raw or cooked, is more allergenic than the yolk and potentially problematic for those with autoimmune diseases.
