Is eating one egg a day good or bad for your health? Here's the latest research!

"Throw away the yolk of the egg, as the yolk is high in cholesterol and can affect the cardiovascular system."

"Eating one egg a day greatly increases the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure!"

This has caused many people to doubt their eating habits. Is it good or bad for the body to eat one egg every day?

01

Study: Eating ≥5 eggs per week,

Reduced risk of diabetes and high blood pressure

On January 18, 2023, a Boston University research team published a new study in Nutrients showing that consuming 5 or more eggs per week significantly reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure by 28% and 32%, respectively! If combined with other healthy eating patterns, the health benefits will be even greater. [1]

The study divided all 2,349 participants into three groups based on their egg intake:

Group 1: <0.5 eggs/week

Group 2: 0.5-5 eggs/week

Group 3: ≥5 eggs/week

Among them, participants who ate ≥5 eggs/week tended to have higher BMI and dietary cholesterol intake, but their fasting blood glucose levels were lower. The data showed that after adjusting for multiple variables, the average fasting blood glucose concentration of participants who ate ≥5 eggs/week was 3.7 mg/dL lower than those who ate almost no eggs, and the difference was more obvious in overweight people.

The results showed that compared with <0.5 eggs/week, participants who ate ≥5 eggs/week had a significantly lower risk of developing impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes by 28%, and a 32% lower risk of developing hypertension.

In conclusion, this prospective study suggests that consuming five or more eggs per week does not adversely affect glucose or blood pressure outcomes; rather, moderate egg consumption may reduce the risk of incident diabetes and hypertension, particularly when combined with a healthy dietary pattern .[1]

02

Does eating an egg a day raise your cholesterol?

Research: No

Will eating one egg a day raise cholesterol? In March 2022, a nested case-control study conducted by a research team from Peking University found that moderate egg intake (about one egg a day) increased the levels of beneficial proteins and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, also known as "good cholesterol") in the blood, especially apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1) levels were significantly higher than those of ordinary people; while harmful proteins and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, also known as "bad cholesterol") were lower, thus playing a protective role on cardiovascular health. ②

Studies have found that people who eat a moderate amount of eggs (about 4-7 eggs per week) have higher levels of beneficial proteins in their blood, such as apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1) and HDL-C; on the contrary, they have lower levels of "harmful" metabolites such as total cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and LDL-C.

Taking apolipoprotein A1 as an example, apolipoprotein A1 can transport fat to the liver for decomposition and remove cholesterol from the blood, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

Professor Li Liming, one of the authors of the study, said that this research may provide guidance on "egg consumption in China." At present, China's dietary guidelines recommend eating one egg a day; but data show that the average egg intake of the Chinese population is far less than the recommended amount. Therefore, people need to be encouraged to eat eggs in moderation to reduce the overall risk of cardiovascular disease . [2]

03

This is the most nutritious way to eat eggs!

1. Boiled eggs: Boil first and then simmer

Boiling eggs is a simple and healthy way to eat eggs. It does not require additional oil or salt, and is easy to digest and absorb. When boiling eggs, you must put them in cold water, wait for the water to boil, then turn to low heat and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, then turn off the heat, and simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes to make the taste smooth and tender and the eggs cooked through. If the eggs are large or taken directly from the refrigerator, the cooking time can be slightly longer to make them cooked through.

Generally, do not boil eggs for more than 15 minutes. If you boil them for too long, the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the egg yolk will be reduced and other nutrients may also be destroyed.

2. Boil poached eggs: put them in the pot when the water is warm

Poached eggs, like boiled eggs, are also a healthier way to eat eggs. Poaching eggs is a skill, because if you are not careful, you may boil the eggs.

Poached eggs must be put into the pot with warm water, and then slowly and gently put into the water. When boiling poached eggs, be sure to use low heat. The water will bubble gently, and high heat will easily break the eggs. Some people like to eat soft poached eggs, but in fact, it is best to cook poached eggs until they are fully cooked.

3. Tea eggs: add some black tea

Although the name of tea eggs contains tea, they are not only made with tea, but also with star anise, pepper, cinnamon, soy sauce, salt and other seasonings. Adding tea to boiled eggs gives the eggs a light tea fragrance. When boiling tea eggs, boil the eggs until they are 80% to 90% cooked, then gently break the eggshells. At this time, the egg white has solidified, and then slowly soak them in the soup to make them taste good.

You can add some black tea when cooking tea eggs, which warms the stomach, aids digestion and removes greasiness. In addition, pay attention to the intake of hidden salt when eating tea eggs.

4. Steamed egg custard: water: egg liquid = 1:2

Steamed egg custard is a semi-liquid state. Compared with boiled eggs, tea eggs, etc., steamed egg custard is more suitable for the elderly and children because it is easy to swallow and digest. For people with poor digestive function, it is more appropriate to eat eggs by steaming.

It is best to use warm or cold water when steaming egg custard, warm water is better, and the ratio of water to egg liquid is about 1:2. Here is a little trick, you can add a little salt to the egg liquid water, so that the surface of the steamed egg custard will be brighter. In addition, when steaming eggs, you must use a low heat to avoid too many bubbles during the steaming process, which will affect the quality of the egg custard.

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5. Braised eggs: Be gentle with the salt

The marinade gives the braised eggs an attractive color and fragrance. More than 60% of the flavor substances in the braised eggs come from the seasonings. After being marinated in the marinade, the egg white is more chewy and the egg yolk is looser. You can also prepare some marinade at home, such as pepper, aniseed, sugar, soy sauce, salt, etc. After the eggs are cooked, peel the egg skins and soak them in the marinade to achieve the purpose of coloring and flavoring.

Generally speaking, braised eggs are salty and fresh, and have a high salt content. Some patients with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease who need to control their salt intake are advised not to eat braised eggs frequently. It is best to eat braised eggs freshly braised. If you do not finish eating braised eggs, refrigerate them and re-braise them before eating the next day.

6. Salted egg: just eat half

The salted eggs with red oil and sandy texture are very delicious. Salted eggs are processed by wood ash method, salt mud coating method and brine immersion method, etc., and are generally pickled for about a month. During the pickling process of salted eggs, the high salt content will make the protein coagulate and become firm, and the fat in the egg will be "squeezed" out, and a lot of oil will appear around the yolk. Generally, duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs, and the pickling time is longer, and more oil will be produced.

A salted duck egg of a common size, regardless of the production process, contains about 3 to 5 grams of salt, which is a high-salt food. It is recommended to eat half a duck egg a day. For pregnant women, it is recommended to eat less or no high-salt foods.

7. Egg soup: thicken the soup thinly

Egg soup is the most common soup in life. It can be paired with tomatoes, coriander, winter melon, cucumber, seaweed, etc. As a simple and nutritious soup, it is very popular. Even this simple soup requires a method to make.

Before making egg soup, use very thin starch to make a thin thickening, then turn on low heat, make a small hole in the egg, and throw the egg liquid into the pot. Or you can beat the egg into a bowl, stir the egg yolk and egg white, and slowly pour it into the soup. At this time, the egg is easy to become flakes, tender, and tastes good.

8. Fried eggs: Fry until fully cooked

Scrambled eggs are a favorite of many families and are easy to make. Compared with steamed eggs and boiled eggs, scrambled eggs and fried eggs lose more nutrients. It is not recommended to make soft-boiled eggs unless you can ensure that the eggs are fresh. Because unfresh eggs have a higher bacterial content, if you make soft-boiled eggs, the heat is uneven, which is easy to leave safety hazards.

When scrambled eggs, you can add some cooking wine or starch to make the eggs smoother and tenderer, and reduce the addition of oil and salt. Leeks, tomatoes, bitter melon, tofu, etc. are all good matches for scrambled eggs. For example, beans have a high content of glutamic acid, while eggs are rich in methionine. The combination of the two complements the amino acids, which is nutritious and healthy.

This article is compiled from:

[1]Mott MM, Zhou

[2]Pan L, Chen L, Lv J, Pang Y, Guo Y, Pei P, Du H, Yang L, Millwood IY, Walters RG, Chen Y, Gong W, Chen J, Yu C, Chen Z, Li L; China Kadoorie Biobank Collaborative Group. Association of egg consumption, metabolic markers, and risk of cardiovascular diseases: A nested case-control study. Elife. 2022 May 24;11:e72909. doi: 10.7554/eLife.72909. PMID: 35607895; PMCID: PMC9129873.

[3] 2018-05-04 Health Times: "The Colorful Life of an Egg"

Source: Health Times

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