Eggs contain lesser cholesterol than previous estimates - new study

According to the findings of a latest US research, eggs contain 14 percent lesser cholesterol content than what has been estimated in the past and thus may actually be good for people at high risk of heart diseases.

Researchers from the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) initiated the breakthrough study that negates all past myths about eggs being high in cholesterol.

Dr. Mitch Kanter, Executive Director for the Egg Nutrition Center said, “Eggs are a nutrient-rich food on their own and can easily be enjoyed with other nutrient-rich foods such as vegetables, whole grains and reduced fat milk without worry of increasing heart disease risk.”

Kanter was also the session moderator of the Experimental Biology (EB) 2011 conference held in Washington, D.C. recently, where the study was presented.

Researchers conducted nationwide study

For the present study, researchers carried out a national sample analysis of large eggs and charted out the nutrient details of eggs.

They then conducted a follow-up study that assessed the nutrient analysis of eggs and their impact on the ‘dietary cholesterol profile’ of the general American diet.

The investigators reported, “There was a slight shift in the percentage contribution of total cholesterol intake from eggs to other foods like meat, poultry and dairy.”

The ESDA-ARS team presented a nutrition data which observed that 185mg of cholesterol was contained in a large egg, compared to 215mg as reported previously.

“The analysis also revealed that large eggs now contain 41 IU vitamin D which was up by 64%,” the investigators said.

Why eggs were linked with high cholesterol

Health experts claimed that egg plays a vital role in a healthy diet and one egg a day did not result in an increased level of cholesterol, but instead it is good for the heart.

"Cholesterol-containing foods, such as eggs, are often eaten with foods that are high in saturated fat which gives them a bad reputation by association. Eggs are a great source of protein and a large egg provides about 6.5 grams of it which is equivalent to an ounce of meat as a protein source. " Dr. Kanter said.

Another important finding of the study was that saturated fat and not cholesterol could play a role in raising blood cholesterol.

Hence, the researchers concluded that egg was beneficial for healthy living.