Eggs are good for the heart

Eggs aren’t bad for the heart, experts say.

US egg expert Don McNamara insists their bad reputation is no longer warranted and even the Heart Foundation recommends six eggs a week.

“Seniors fear eating eggs because they’ve been worried about dietary cholesterol for 40 years,” the Herald Sun quoted nutritional biochemist McNamara as saying.

“But, over the years, research has clearly shown that the cholesterol in our diet doesn’t affect our risk of heart disease — (what) saturated fat and trans fat do,” he added.

Eggs are low in saturated fat and contain some important compounds like choline that are thought to be good for metabolism and fetal brain development during pregnancy.

It also contains lutein, which is known to reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

People who eat eggs for breakfast feel fuller longer and reduce the risk of overeating at lunch, McNamara said.

“Eggs have the highest quality protein you can buy at the supermarket at the lowest price, and they contain all the vitamins and minerals we need except vitamin C,” he said.

“So they fit into a healthy diet easily for people with normal cholesterol levels, high cholesterol levels, diabetics and people with metabolic syndrome,” he added.

The Heart Foundation conducted a study earlier this year and reissued its guidelines recommending people eat six eggs a week.

“Cholesterol in food is not the same as cholesterol in the blood,” says Monique Blunden, spokesperson for the Foundation for Healthy Weights.

“It’s the saturated fat and trans fat that we consume that are directly related to increased blood cholesterol,” he adds.