Depending on whom you ask, eggs can either be a healthy source of protein and nutrients, or they could potentially become the reason that you have a heart attack in your mid-30s.
This is a pretty severe jump on the spectrum of healthy-to-unhealthy foods.
The truth is that eggs do contain a lot of stuff that is good for your overall health.
However, unfortunately, there are some risk factors that come along with eating eggs, especially if you eat a large amount of them on a daily basis.
In this guide, we will look at exactly what makes eggs so dangerous to eat, as well as checking out how dangerous they can be.
So, let’s get into it.
Are Eggs Bad For You?
Eggs are generally viewed as being healthy food products, being favorably eaten by athletes, bodybuilders, and those on diets.
Over the decades, the egg – specifically, the chicken egg – has remained a household staple for hundreds and thousands over the globe.
Why are eggs favored by so many people? Well, they are packed with protein, omega-3, vitamins, and plenty of nutrients.
They are also fairly stodgy, helping you to remain full until your next meal.
While eggs are filled with so many vitamins and nutrients, they are also packed with something that is not so great: cholesterol.
It is the egg yolk that is filled with cholesterol, as well as fat, and a ton of calories.
This is why many people on a fitness kick will choose to remove the yolk from their eggs, and only eat the whites.
In recent years, studies have shown that those who eat eggs regularly – or, more notably, egg yolks – were more likely to develop cardiovascular issues, e.g., heart disease.
This was due to high levels of cholesterol reportedly being bad for your heart.
‘Good’ Vs. ‘Bad’ Cholesterol: What’s The Difference?
Over the years, it has been argued whether eggs really are bad for your heart health.
When it was first revealed that egg yolks were packed with cholesterol, and that cholesterol was bad for your heart, it seems pretty obvious that eggs had to be bad for your heart.
Suddenly, a discovery was made that changed everything. As it turns out, not all cholesterol is bad for your health.
There are actually two kinds of cholesterol:
High-density lipoprotein (the ‘good’ cholesterol)
Low-density lipoprotein (the ‘bad’ cholesterol)
As the names suggest, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is good for your health, while low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is not so great.
HDL actually helps to protect your heart from numerous conditions and diseases, and it achieves this by removing unwanted lipids from your body.
In other words, it helps to clear up the bad stuff that clogs up your arteries.
LDL, on the other hand, is the type of cholesterol that clogs up your arteries in the first place.
This is the scary version of cholesterol that most people think of when they hear that word.
HDL and LDL work together to keep a person’s body regular and healthy.
While you may think that, surely, your body would function better without LDL, you would be wrong to think so.
Low levels of LDL can actually cause people to experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, and further mental health issues over time.
Additionally, there have recently been studies that indicate there’s a relationship between low cholesterol levels and cancer.
Therefore, it is important that a person’s LDL and HDL levels are at a steady state.
They work together to keep your body going, and you can become very ill if either one dips too quickly.
How Many Eggs Should Someone Eat On A Daily Basis?
There have been numerous studies over the years, working out whether or not eggs are actually good for you.
Eggs seemed to have been stuck in a sort of limbo for decades upon decades, with some believing that they were terrible for you, with others claiming they were actually great for your health.
A study that took place in 2001 revealed that eating just one additional egg a day would increase a person’s chances of having a heart attack by 2%.
Hearing that something can raise your chances of having a heart attack, even by a measly 2%, can cause anyone to panic.
However, this should only really strike fear into the hearts of those who eat three or four eggs on a daily basis.
As a rule, you should probably stick to just eating one egg a day, or even going some days without eating any at all.
However, eating just one egg a day shouldn’t cause too many issues, especially due to the benefits that you can reap from them.
The Health Benefits Of Eating Eggs
While there has been a lot of scaremongering about eggs in the news during the past few decades, it can be difficult to remember exactly why eggs are so popular amongst athletes, bodybuilders, and those on diets.
There is a reason so many ‘healthy’ people choose to incorporate eggs into their diets.
Not everything about this specific food item is doom and gloom; there are, in fact, many benefits that can be gained from eating eggs.
Yes, the amount of LDL cholesterol in egg yolk will, potentially, cause issues to your cardiovascular system if eaten too often.
But did you know that eggs also contain a bunch of nutrients that help fight heart disease, and other related conditions?
Folate and vitamin B are just two components of an egg that are known for benefitting those at risk of coronary heart disease.
There are so many nutrients and vitamins that can be found in eggs – namely, the egg white – that do more good for your health than bad.
If you eat enough of anything, it will eventually cause harm to your body; from chocolate to broccoli. The key to eating healthily is to eat in moderation!
There are so many health benefits to eating eggs, so there is no reason you should stop eating them altogether.
You don’t have to completely cut eggs out of your diet, but if you want to keep an eye on your cholesterol levels, you may benefit from cutting down on them a little.
Final Thoughts
The truth of the matter is that eating a single fried egg with your breakfast, or enjoying a small boiled egg for your lunch, won’t cause you to have an immediate heart attack.
There is no reason that you should completely cut eggs out of your diet for no reason.
However, it is important that you are aware of the risks of certain foods before incorporating them into your everyday diet.
Eggs contain high levels of LDL and HDL, which are both forms of cholesterol.
Too much ‘bad’ cholesterol will clog up your arteries, and may lead to deadly heart conditions and diseases in the future.
As long as you continue to eat eggs in moderation, you should be okay.
Stick to one egg a day, and you can continue to reap the great benefits of this food, while avoiding the scary side effects that come with eating too much of it.
I'm Clare, the owner and operator of Off The Couch, where I serve as a qualified Nutrition & Health Coach.
Based in Dublin, Ireland, I offer coaching services both locally and globally, providing personalized strategies in nutrition, stress management, sleep quality, and fitness.
My journey into this field began as I navigated my own chronic illnesses, including early menopause, Interstitial Cystitis, Lyme Disease, and hydrocephalus.
