The harm and benefits of eggs

Boiled and fried eggs are one of the most beloved dishes used for breakfast. About forty billion chicken eggs are produced annually in our country, which allows us to meet the people's need for a favorite breakfast product.

The invariably high demand that has persisted over many generations is not surprising. Eggs can be cooked in a variety of ways, containing eight essential amino acids, protein and vitamins. However, given such a rich composition, their usefulness is often called into question.

This is due to the high concentration of cholesterol that they contain. This, of course, cannot be denied, but in order to understand how great such damage is, it is necessary to understand this issue much deeper.

Content

  • 1 What is cholesterol and its role in the body "> 2 What are the benefits of chicken eggs?
  • 3 muscle gain
  • 4 How many eggs can I eat each day?
  • 5 How to choose chicken eggs?
  • 6 Chickens kept without a cage, or free-range?
  • 7 How to cook eggs best?
  • 8 What foods can increase cholesterol?
  • 9 What foods lower cholesterol?
  • 10 Summary

What is cholesterol and its role in the body?

Cholesterol, as defined by the American National Institute of Health, is a fat-like and waxy substance that is present in every cell in the body. It sounds rather rude, but it's not so terrible.

Cholesterol is produced naturally in the human body in order to ensure normal functioning. He is an integral participant in many processes required for the synthesis of hormones and digestion of food. The amount of your own cholesterol is about one or two grams, which is distributed throughout the body in fairly small portions called lipoproteins. They are represented by two types - with a low density or LDL, with a high density or HDL.

The first type of lipoprotein is considered "bad", which is due to an increase in the concentration of LDL in the body, the likelihood of plaque formation in the arteries. These negative consequences interfere with blood flow from the heart muscle, against which serious heart diseases can develop. The second type (HDL) is considered “good” because it transports cholesterol to the liver and then is excreted from the body.

Cholesterol alone does not cause serious concern until it accumulates in the body in high concentration. The consumption of foods containing a lot of cholesterol automatically reduces the production of their own to compensate.

Individual genetic characteristics, style and lifestyle, diet affect the "behavior" of the body when it begins to adjust the flow depending on how much cholesterol comes from outside. Thus, the level of LDL production becomes higher than HDL. An imbalance of lipoprotein can cause sad consequences. This is what is considered the main reason why you can not eat a lot of chicken eggs.

According to the data in Medical News Today, one average egg contains approximately 164 milligrams of cholesterol, and since it is recommended to consume no more than 300 milligrams each day, a pair of eggs for breakfast can exceed the entire maximum daily limit. This immediately makes it clear why yolks are not a major part of the bodybuilders ’diet, which allow themselves no more than two yolks.

In fact, the news is not so bad, but according to Francisco Lopez Jimines, MD, Mayo Clinic, eating chicken eggs has minimal effect on raising blood cholesterol levels when compared with the effect of saturated fats and trans fats.

What is the use of chicken eggs ">

This product contains a lot of protein, the amount of which per egg is about 5.53 grams. The high nutritional value of eggs is also due to the presence of amino acids - the building material required for the implementation of various biological processes, which plays an important role in maintaining the functioning of the body.

Medical News Today points to other properties of eggs that make the product healthy. They contain:

  • provitamin A, vitamins B2, B5; B12, E and D;
  • folic acid;
  • phosphorus, choline, lutein, iodine;
  • biotin, iron, selenium.

Thanks to the combination of vitamins and nutrients, the use of eggs accelerates metabolism and energizes.

Muscle gain

Among fans of feasting on eggs, the famous trainer Gillian Michaels. An article written by her contains the fact that the body necessarily requires cholesterol. Otherwise, he will stop synthesizing such a hormone as testosterone, which is responsible for building muscle mass and replenishing energy reserves.

To eat eggs for muscle growth is necessary entirely. Refuse from the similar advantages that this product provides, of course, should not be. It is possible to enjoy chicken eggs and get all the benefits without harming the body, but subject to certain restrictions.

How many eggs can I eat each day ">

Daily intake of chicken eggs has nothing to do with cholesterol and diseases of the cardiovascular system. This is the opinion held by John Berardi - founder of Precision Nutrition, as well as a Ph.D. However, even with this in mind, eating the same food every day, even when it is healthy, should not be.

Dr. Susan Roberts's article describes the requirement for diversity quite well. Its meaning boils down to the fact that no product contains the optimal amount of nutrients, allowing you to provide the body with everything necessary. However, eating a variety of foods, the chances of getting each element in the right amount increase.

The lack of a variety of food allows you not to be fed up with certain dishes, the taste of which quickly bothers, and also get a balanced amount of nutrients and substances. It is not recommended to eat chicken eggs or any other product daily. The main thing is to observe moderation. Eggs included in the general shopping list must be supplemented with other products.

How to choose chicken eggs ">

On the shelves of modern stores in a wide assortment of eggs are presented, packed in cardboard, foam, plastic boxes. This puzzles the buyer, who is lost among such a variety, having no idea which is better. The consumer, as a rule, begins to compare the product by fame, color, size, price and brand. This approach is not entirely true. Eggs are produced in different ways, which makes some better than others.

The presence of the Omega-3 marking on the cardboard packaging indicates that the chickens were given food containing algae or fish oil, flaxseed. Being an essential fatty acid, that is, the production of which does not occur in the body, Omega-3 can only come with food. And if you choose eggs containing this essential fatty acid, they will become a useful supplement to the diet, which is tastier than tuna and other products.

Natural eggs are more expensive, but also environmentally friendly. Chickens carrying them are given food in which there are no fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, these birds are not stuffed with hormones and a variety of antibiotics. Natural chicken eggs are very different from others. They have a wonderful aroma, differ in the dark orange color of the yolk. Ordinary eggs that customers are already used to have bright yellow yolks. The difference lies not only in color, but also in composition, which is more nutritious and rich.

Free-range chickens ">

Along with the marks "Omega-3" and "natural", there are also such eggs that are labeled "content without a cage" or "free range". It seems to most that they are exactly the same, but there are differences.

Free-range poultry is chickens that are kept outdoors, usually on a small farm. This distinguishes such hens from laying hens that live in a full chicken coop and cannot even move normally.

A little confusion arises with a note indicating that the hens are kept outside the cells. This is a kind of “trick”, because hens are not kept in familiar cages, and such markings only describe the fact that they are in a small enclosed space where they can walk a bit, and for masonry specially constructed nests are provided, the sizes of which depend on the allocated space.

Choosing chicken eggs is certainly recommended according to personal preference. The differences between tastes are quite noticeable, especially in natural and free-range, which differ from the rest. It matters not only which eggs they eat, but also how they are cooked.

The best way to cook eggs is ">

The answer to this question was given by Gillian Michaels, who emphasized the importance of which products and how eggs are combined. She pointed out that fried eggs in butter and served with bacon, which consist of saturated fats, negatively affect cholesterol readings. To make the eggs more healthy, you should cook in a cast-iron skillet using olive oil.

Many may think that the use of olive oil for frying is meaningless, but since it is rich in antioxidants and proper fats, the usefulness increases significantly, and the taste practically does not suffer. In addition, do not forget that not only chicken eggs affect cholesterol.

What foods can increase cholesterol ">

Products whose use should be limited due to the fact that they contain a lot of cholesterol are:

  • cheddar and salami;
  • lamb and beef meat;
  • oysters and shrimp;
  • oil.

Among dairy products and cheese varieties, it is necessary to choose those in which the percentage of fat content is the lowest. This will be the first and very important step on the path to proper and healthier nutrition, which will undoubtedly positively affect the whole body.

What foods lower cholesterol ">

The best way to minimize the effects of raising cholesterol is to eat foods that help lower it. And if you know that there will be boiled shrimps for lunch, then oatmeal should be served for breakfast. Such porridge is incredibly useful for the heart muscle, is an excellent tool that reduces low density lipoprotein (LDL) for a month and a half by 5.3 percent.

Cholesterol is reduced after eating walnuts. Studies by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that eating 40 grams of walnuts daily for at least six days a week reduces total cholesterol by 5.4 and LDL by 9.3 percent. To diversify the menu, you can replace oatmeal with walnuts with legumes. If half a glass of legumes is added weekly to the diet, low-density lipoprotein will decrease by 8 percent.

To reduce cholesterol, you should drink black tea, as it contains lipids. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a drink reduces lipids by at least 10 percent in three weeks.

Summarizing

In order to eat right, it is necessary to approach the foods consumed with all responsibility. It should be carefully related to the composition and effect of each product on the body. There is no harm from eggs, but they must be eaten sparingly, which applies to absolutely any food.

A healthy diet involves balance, that is, when a product having a specific composition is compensated by another that has opposite properties. Foods with high cholesterol are consumed along with their lowering. It is impossible to completely refuse products with cholesterol. Everyone needs it for the body to function normally.

You should not be afraid of eggs. They represent an important source of amino acids, vitamins, and nutrients that help the body cope with various complex tasks, provide energy for the whole day, and allow you to build muscle.

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