The true benefits and drawbacks of eating eggs

They’re accessible

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Eggs are cheap to buy and almost always available in grocery stores, therefore they’re an accessible form of everyday protein.

Nutrient dense

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

An egg is meant to have all the ingredients to grow an organism, i.e. a chicken, so it is very nutrient dense. Eggs contain notable amounts of the vitamins B12, B2, A, and B5, as well as selenium.

Low in calories and carbs

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

A large egg contains roughly 75 calories, with 6 grams of quality protein, 5 grams of fat and only trace amounts of carbohydrates.

High-quality protein

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Because nine amino acids (out of the 21 our body uses to build its proteins) must come from our diet, the quality of a protein source is determined by how many they have. Eggs are a protein source that contain all of them, and all of them in the right ratios!

High cholesterol content

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

One egg yolk contains around 200 milligrams of cholesterol, which is more than half of the approximate daily recommendation once made by the US dietary guidelines. But there’s a reason that recommendation doesn’t exist anymore.

The cholesterol question

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Cholesterol is a fat produced in our liver and intestines, which can be found in every one of our body’s cells. Though it’s usually thought of negatively, it’s a crucial building block in our cell membranes, and it’s necessary for the body to make vitamin D, as well as testosterone and estrogen.

We produce enough cholesterol on our own

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

It’s regarded as bad when we’re ingesting it because we produce all the cholesterol we need on our own. Cholesterol is also found in other animal products like beef, prawns, cheese, and butter, but it’s specifically very high in eggs.

Cholesterol and heart disease

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Cholesterol is transported by lipoprotein molecules in the blood, and everyone’s individual combination of lipoproteins plays a role in determining our risk of developing heart disease. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) is transported from the liver to arteries and body tissues, and can result in a buildup of cholesterol in the blood vessels, which can then increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Eggs are low in saturated fat

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Though eggs have much more cholesterol than other animal products, they’re also low in saturated fat.

Eggs contain antioxidants

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Cholesterol is still harmful, however, when it’s oxidized in our arteries, as it can be inflammatory. But eggs, luckily enough, contain various kinds of antioxidants that protect them from being oxidized, as Christopher Blesso, associate professor of nutritional science at the University of Connecticut, told the BBC.

The reason for inconclusive studies

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Many observational studies, even the biggest of its kind which sought to find the connection between eggs and cardiovascular disease among 30,000 adults, fail to find a real indication of cause and effect. Self-reported data of what participants ate and their subsequent health outcomes also only provide a small snapshot of their diets and lifestyles, and leave many possible conclusions open.

They contain lutein

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Scientists have found that egg yolks are one of the best sources of lutein, a pigment linked to better eyesight and lower risk of eye disease. Lutein can be found in the retina of the eye and protects from light damage as a blue light filter, which would otherwise cause your vision to deteriorate.

Not all eggs are created equal

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Hens are often raised in terrible factory conditions where they’re caged, stressed, and fed grain-based feed, which alters the nutrient composition of their eggs.

The vegetarian question

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Many vegetarians are split (typically those from the Eastern and Western worlds) over whether eggs are vegetarian or not because, while produced by an animal and containing the building blocks for an animal, they are not technically animal flesh since they aren’t fertilized. Those who eat eggs but no other animal flesh are called "ovo-vegetarian."

The cruelty dilemma

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

The egg industry is notorious for using cruel methods such as beak cutting (so the stressed hens don’t hurt each other or themselves), crammed and filthy living conditions (including hens stacked on wire racks), and male chick maceration (grinding them alive because they can’t produce eggs), reports The Vegan Review.

Severely decreased hen health

They’re accessible, Nutrient dense, Low in calories and carbs, High-quality protein, High cholesterol content, The cholesterol question, We produce enough cholesterol on our own, Cholesterol and heart disease, Eggs are low in saturated fat, Eggs contain antioxidants, The reason for inconclusive studies, They contain lutein, Not all eggs are created equal, The vegetarian question, The cruelty dilemma, Severely decreased hen health

Hens that are bred to be so-called “super layers” experience so much stress that their accelerated laying span lasts under two years on average, compared with the 15-20 years that hens would produce eggs under natural and healthy conditions, reports PETA.

Post Related