For a long time it was said that if you frequently eat a lot of eggs, you risk heart attacks and arteriosclerosis. However, recent studies show that eggs might even protect against this. Everything you should know about eggs, why some people can eat loads of them without consequences, and why every egg is a nutritional wonder.
Eggs still have a rather bad image. The reason for this are numerous studies that classified eggs as food of concern because of their high cholesterol content. It is well known that cholesterol, as blood fat, leads to deposits in the blood vessels and can thus promote heart attacks and strokes .
Contradicting Studies
However, new studies show that eggs can actually lower the risk of stroke and heart attack. According to the study, subjects who ate up to five eggs per week had a roughly ten percent lower risk of these diseases than people who only included eggs on the menu in exceptional cases.
However, before there is no doubt about the acquittal for the breakfast egg, another current investigation seems to confirm the eggs’ bad reputation.
Cholesterol levels are less dependent on food than expected
In addition, it is also a matter of genes whether a person breaks down blood fat rapidly or, on the contrary, is prone to risky deposits. Some people eat three fried eggs a day and their cholesterol levels stay within normal limits. The extreme example : An 88-year-old ate even 25 eggs a day regularly, felt healthy, had no excessively high blood lipids and no trace of arteriosclerosis! The cholesterol absorption in the intestine was significantly reduced, presumably due to familial issues.
Surely this man is an exception and not an example to be emulated. Because there are other people who only eat breakfast eggs every now and then, but who struggle with high blood lipids.
In the end, diet does not play such a big role in the cholesterol level: foods like eggs are only responsible for 25 percent of the blood lipid levels, most of the cholesterol is produced by the liver, so the blood lipids are produced in the body and are not supplied from outside.
Three to four eggs a week are no problem for healthy people
Nutritionists have therefore agreed to no longer demonize eggs in principle, but to rehabilitate them and even recommend them as part of a wholesome diet. The German Nutrition Society has also relaxed its strict rules in this regard.
For healthy people who do not have heart disease, high blood lipid levels or diabetes , three to four eggs per week are a guideline. A Swedish study even showed that up to six eggs per week did not increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. According to the analysis of the data, if you have more eggs for weeks, you may have to expect negative consequences.
So if there is a little more at Easter, there is no risk of a heart attack if you live egg-free again afterwards. If you want to be absolutely sure, you can have your blood lipid levels checked by a test in the doctor’s office.
However, you should pay attention to the preparation of the eggs: Soft-boiled eggs are particularly digestible. However, if you fry fried eggs in lard, as well as with bacon, the meal will also provide a lot of saturated fat such as cholesterol. The meal can be heavy in the stomach and the levels of fat in the blood actually increase. On the other hand, if you brown the fried eggs in high-quality vegetable oil and, for example, spread diced tomatoes over them, you will receive a full, vitamin-rich meal. When it comes to cholesterol, it’s not just the egg that counts, but the overall nutritional concept.
Nutritional miracle egg with valuable vital substances
Overall, eggs are healthier than expected. Depending on their size, they provide on average only 70 to 90 kilocalories per piece, but they fill you up well and offer a whole range of important and valuable vital substances, such as
- Seven to eight grams of high-quality protein for energy and muscles per egg (size M, around 60 grams)
- Vitamins A, B2, D and E, i.e. all important vitamins except vitamin C.
- Antioxidants like lutein
- Iron, zinc , selenium, calcium, sodium and potassium
Last but not least, eggs also contain lecithin. This is a substance found in natural cell membranes that can slow down the absorption of cholesterol in the body.
What the egg code mean – find out where your breakfast egg came from
Eggs are definitely a healthy treat. But what should you consider when buying? The codes on the eggs provide information about keeping and origin. The print numbers on the egg mean in detail:
- The first number is the attitude – 0 stands for organic, 1 for free range, 2 for free range
- The letters are country codes, DE for Germany, AT for Austria, NL for Netherlands
- The stable number stands for the company.
You can enter this number on the website of KAT , the Association for Controlled Alternative Animal Husbandry, and thus find out the exact name and address of the company. This check is only not possible with colored eggs. They do not have to be coded.
Shelf life – eggs stay fresh longer
Freshly laid eggs can be kept for around a month at a cool room temperature. They are best stored in the refrigerator at seven degrees.
Boiled eggs only last about two weeks. Incidentally, the brightly colored “bread eggs” that are available in discount stores and butchers can be kept for at least two months because the eggshells are treated with a special paint.
The freshness test for eggs only takes three seconds
It is very easy to tell if raw eggs are really fresh. Submerge the egg in water. If it’s fresh, it stays on the floor. Older specimens already contain some air and therefore stand up in the water. If the egg is already spoiled and inedible, it floats to the surface. The typical, unpleasant smell “of rotten eggs” (hydrogen sulfide HS) spreads when it is opened.
Hard-boiled eggs also reveal their age: freshness is difficult to peel. In older ones, the yolk is on the edge and an air chamber has formed. Incidentally, the green border that can often be seen around the yolk does not mean that the egg is spoiled. It was only cooked for a very long time, the contents of the yolk and egg white reacting with each other, which leads to the discoloration.
