Although eggs are not generally thought of as an antioxidant-rich food, a study in 2011 revealed that they do, indeed, contain “antioxidant properties.” When eggs are cooked, they lose about half of these properties, but they’ll still retain enough to matter. “It’s a big reduction, but it still leaves eggs equal to apples in their antioxidant value,” Jianping Wu, one of the experts behind the study and a professor at the University of Alberta’s department of agricultural food and nutritional science in Canada, told ScienceDaily. In addition to their antioxidant properties, eggs are an omega-3 fortified food, making eating eggs a good decision for those following an anti-inflammatory diet.
Eating eggs every day won’t increase your risk of having a heart attack
Eating eggs — specifically the yolks — was once thought to raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. Because high cholesterol can lead to heart disease, many chose to avoid cholesterol-containing foods. For some, that meant staying away from eggs altogether or skipping the yolks and opting for egg whites only.
However, Anthony Komaroff, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, explained in a letter that research has since proven that “most of the cholesterol in our body is made by our liver — it doesn’t come from cholesterol we eat.” He explained, “The liver is stimulated to make cholesterol primarily by saturated fat and trans fat in our diet, not dietary cholesterol.” Although it’s true that a large egg, on average, contains 1.5 grams of saturated fat, studies have shown that not only does moderate egg consumption not increase a person’s risk of developing heart disease, but the almighty egg may even protect against it.
That said, you should watch what you eat alongside your eggs. “The saturated fat in butter, cheese, bacon, sausage, muffins, or scones, for example, raises your blood cholesterol much more than the cholesterol in your egg,” Komaroff wrote.
Your “good” cholesterol will likely raise if you eat eggs most days
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While high levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol can lead to cardiovascular problems, having a higher level of HDL (aka “good”) cholesterol is, well, a good thing. According to the Mayo Clinic, “HDL picks up excess cholesterol in your blood and takes it back to your liver where it’s broken down and removed from your body.” Both men and women should aim to raise their good cholesterol to 60 milligrams per deciliter. This can be done in a variety of ways, including exercising on a regular basis, quitting smoking, and eating foods that have been proven to raise HDL cholesterol levels.
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