Nutritional Information for Eggs

Eggs are one of the most nutritious food you can eat. One medium sized egg contains approximately 75 calories, 6.25 grams of protein, and 220 milligrams of cholesterol. It also contains large amount of vitamins, minerals, macro and micronutrients (including: carotenoids, choline, betaine, and many others). In one small, compact package, eggs are excellent at providing our bodies with essential amino acids.

Why then have eggs had such a poor reputation in recent years? Well, it is true that eggs contain fat and cholesterol, and for some people adding eggs to the diet should only be made in moderation and with approval from their doctors. Why? Because there are two types of cholesterol. The first is dietary cholesterol (commonly found in food) and the second blood cholesterol (commonly found in our bodies.) For most people, 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol (amount recommended by American Heart Association) a day doesn’t have a detrimental effect on their blood cholesterol levels. However, for some people dietary cholesterol increases their blood cholesterol levels. Therefore, it is important to know exactly how many milligrams of cholesterol that you can safely consume without negatively affecting your blood cholesterol levels.

So, if your doctor agrees your health won't be negatively impacted, there is no need to avoid eating eggs, as eggs provide us with nutrients that our body needs to function. If, however, you’re one of those people whose blood cholesterol levels increase based on the amount of dietary cholesterol you consume and for health reasons, you aren't allowed to consume more than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol a day, you probably don’t have to limit eggs altogether, you can just eat the egg whites (as they are cholesterol free!) and find comfort in knowing that you’ll still receive many of the health benefits of eating eggs.