Table of contents:
- Benefits of eating eggs
- For eye health
- For brain health
- Contains sufficient amounts of essential amino acids
- Lowering triglyceride levels in the blood
- Risks of consuming lots of eggs
- Contains high cholesterol
- Is it true that consuming lots of eggs can increase the risk of heart disease?
- How often is it safe to eat eggs?
Eggs are a good source of protein for the body. Eggs have become an important food ingredient needed daily. Many processed foods use eggs. Eggs can also be processed using various techniques, such as frying and boiling. There are various ways to enjoy egg dishes. Not surprisingly, many people love eggs and can eat lots of eggs a week.
However, are there any benefits and risks of eating eggs?
Benefits of eating eggs
Apart from being a source of protein, eggs also contain a lot of nutrients needed by the body. One egg contains vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B5, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B6, calcium and zinc. Due to the nutritional content of eggs, eggs have many benefits for the health of our bodies.
For eye health
Eggs actually contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which are antioxidants that play an important role in eye health. This is especially necessary for people who are older, where there is a decline in their ability to see. Eggs contain strong antioxidants that can maintain the health of the retina of the eye, so that eye health is maintained even though it is old.
Lutein and zeaxanthin, which are abundant in egg yolks, can help reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration (which can cause blindness in the elderly), eye diseases that are very common in older people. In addition, the vitamin A contained in eggs also helps maintain the health of your eyes.
For brain health
Eggs contain choline, which is a very important substance and is usually grouped in vitamin B. Choline can help maintain brain health because it is needed to build cell membranes and help the production of signal molecules in the brain. In addition, choline also plays an important role in breaking down the amino acid homocysteine, which is associated with the development of heart disease.
Although choline provides important benefits for you, many of you are still unconsciously lacking choline intake. One egg contains approximately 100 grams of choline.
Contains sufficient amounts of essential amino acids
Amino acids are compounds that make up proteins, which are indispensable for all forms of development of cells that occur in the body, both those that work for structural and functional purposes. The protein content in eggs can increase muscle mass and help muscle work. One large egg contains 6 grams of protein, which consists of essential amino acids in the amount needed by the body.
Lowering triglyceride levels in the blood
Eggs enriched with omega 3 fatty acids can reduce triglyceride levels in the blood. High levels of triglycerides in the blood are known to increase risk factors for heart disease. A study shows that consuming 5 eggs enriched with omega 3 per week for 3 weeks can reduce triglyceride levels in the blood by 16-18%.
Risks of consuming lots of eggs
In addition, eggs contain many benefits as mentioned above, but eating too many eggs also carries risks. This is even more so if you have certain diseases, such as hypercholesterolemia.
Contains high cholesterol
One egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol, while it is recommended that you only consume as much as 300 mg a day. Then, how?
Actually, cholesterol in food does not always increase cholesterol in the blood. The cholesterol-producing liver doesn't convert all the cholesterol in the diet to blood cholesterol. However, the reaction of each individual to consuming eggs is very different.
In one study, it was shown that 70% of people who eat eggs do not increase their cholesterol levels in their bodies at all, while the other 30% can increase their levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and total cholesterol in the blood even if they only eat a little egg.
Is it true that consuming lots of eggs can increase the risk of heart disease?
Many people say that egg yolks are bad because they contain a lot of cholesterol which can increase your risk of developing heart disease. To prove this point, many studies were conducted.
What is surprising is that many studies do not confirm this. A review of 17 studies showed that there was no association between egg consumption and heart disease or stroke.
In fact, your assumption that eggs can increase cholesterol levels in the body is not always true. A study published in the journal Lipids in 2013 showed that eating whole eggs can increase levels of good cholesterol (HDL). High levels of good cholesterol in the blood can reduce levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood. So, actually consuming eggs is good for health.
Coming back to the relationship between eggs and heart disease. A study published in the British Journal of Medicine showed that consuming one egg per day did not increase the risk of heart disease or stroke in healthy people.
However, be careful for those of you who have difficulty controlling total cholesterol and bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, you should limit your egg consumption to only the egg whites. For those of you who have diabetes, you should also limit your egg consumption. In the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals study, the risk of heart disease increases in those of you with diabetes, both men and women, if you eat 1 or more eggs per day.
How often is it safe to eat eggs?
So, the conclusion is that eggs are healthy food for those of you who are in good health. Eating one egg per day for healthy people will not be a problem. However, it is different for those of you who suffer from diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or have problems with cholesterol in the blood, you should limit your daily egg consumption. You can still eat eggs, but preferably no more than 3 times a week.
