As eggs provide about half the dietary cholesterol in a typical Western diet, many people believe to limit egg consumption to 3 eggs per week. However, a recent study reported in British Nutrition Bulletin suggests that consumption of up to 1 egg per day is unlikely to have substantial overall impact on cholesterol level, the risk of heart disease or stroke among healthy men and women.
"Eggs are a nutrition rich food, containing 17 different vitamins and minerals, including omega-3 fatty acids, folate and vitamin E, which may be associated with protection from some of the risk factors for coronary heart disease," says dietician Sharon Natoli, director of Food Nutrition Australia.
Two studies published in The Journal of Nutrition found that eating an egg a day can reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a cause of blindness.
All cholesterol values are approximate
Cholesterol in Eggs
Cholesterol (mg)
Cholesterol in Egg, whole, raw, 1 large
215mg
Cholesterol in Egg, whole, raw, 1 medium
185mg
Cholesterol in Egg yolk, raw, 1 large
215mg
Cholesterol in Egg white, raw, 1 large
0mg
Cholesterol in Egg, whole, raw, 100g
548mg
Cholesterol in Egg, whole, hard-boiled, 100g
424mg
Cholesterol in Egg omelette, 100g
410mg
Cholesterol in Egg poached, 100g
480mg
Cholesterol in Egg scrambled, 100g
410mg
Cholesterol in Egg fried, 100g
480mg
Cholesterol in Egg substitute, 1/4 cup
1mg
Looking to the above table suggests that the egg yolks are not good, whereas the egg whites may be safe. Research, however, has found that the egg whites contain a substance that counteracts the harmful effects of the egg yolk to a great extent. So eating whole eggs appears to be safe. Many health professionals consider two eggs a week to be relatively safe to eat.