As many of you are probably aware, there was a study recently published by JAMA, a medical journal, which shared evidence about risks related to eating too much dietary cholesterol (like eating too many eggs). This has been a debated topic for many years now, and there has been conflicting information about whether or not eggs are a healthy option. So, should we take this new study seriously and limit our intake of eggs? Well, given that in my studies I learned that eggs were a nutrient-dense option, low in LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and high in HDL (“good” cholesterol), I decided to take a closer look at the study and report. So what did I find?? Read on!
Let’s take a closer look at the JAMA study:
The study shared that an additional 300 mg of dietary cholesterol consumed per day was associated with a higher risk of Cardiovascular Disease.
It found that found that people who ate three or more eggs per week had higher risk of developing heart disease.
The study pulled from 6 different cohorts and was observational (meaning not a controlled research study). This is problematic for two main reasons:
We are not great at remembering what we ate. In fact, people tend to accurately recall around 50% of what they eat. This leads to flawed results.
This type of study does not look at the many confounding factors, like other dietary and lifestyle habits. Basically, it’s really difficult to identify how one part of a person's diet (like eggs) is truly impacting their health.
“To draw any firm causative conclusions from this type of data is impossible," says Laura Schoenfeld, R.D., a registered dietitian.
The study does not look at the types of eggs eaten (grain fed, mass produced vs. pasture raised, organic) and how they were prepared (highly refined vegetable oils and with a side of greasy bacon vs. poached or fried in coconut oil served with spinach and sweet potatoes). All of these details matter!
Who is at risk of having heart disease?
"The biggest risk factors for heart disease are smoking, uncontrolled high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity, uncontrolled diabetes, and uncontrolled stress and anger," says Schoenfeld.
Therefore eating eggs, which is a nutrient-dense real food, is not the thing we should be focusing on to reduce heart disease!
Instead, if you are at risk, try eating a plant heavy diet with many fiber-rich foods (help to lower LDL or “bad cholesterol), getting regular exercise and movement, and manage stress
Why are eggs actually beneficial for most of us?
They are a great source of protein and Omega 3s (especially pasture-raised and cage-free).
The egg yolks are one of our best sources of vitamin D, choline, vitamin K2, and biotin
Organic, pasture-raised eggs from a local farmer’s market
My takeaway? Use your own discretion when eating eggs. I personally have eggs almost every morning. I find that they fill me up and give me great energy for the day. As long as you live a heart-healthy lifestyle (exercise and eat a real-foods diet), eating pasture-raised, organic eggs will likely not be damaging to your health. In fact, they can supply high amounts of nutritional benefits! So don’t let this highly broadcasted new study impact your breakfast routines, and if you’re an egg-lover, keep enjoying them!
