Are eggs really healthy?

A healthy heart means a healthy life, and ever since the term "cholesterol" earned itself a poor reputation among health fanatics, eggs too came under the scanner. However, much to the relief of those fluffy omelet and egg parantha lovers, nutritionists have continued to hail eggs as the perfect definition of "complete food".

In fact, research shows that even the cholesterol content should not be an issue unless you already have a cholesterol problem. Let's give you low down on eggs, debunking the myths about this top-quality protein:

Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. However, a single medium egg contains approximately 186 mg of cholesterol, which is 62% of the recommended daily intake. But this doesn't mean that if you eat eggs, your blood cholesterol levels will also rise. In fact, it is the other way around. If you eat cholesterol along with other nutrients, your liver will then release less cholesterol in the body, thereby, neutralising the overall effects and keeping your heart healthy.

Egg yolks contain all the cholesterol. Therefore, limiting the intake of egg yolks (two to five per week) can prevent the increase of blood cholesterol levels.

Healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week with no side effects. In fact, this level of egg consumption may prevent strokes.

The risk of developing a heart disease due to high levels of cholesterol can be more closely tied to the foods which accompany eggs in our daily meals. Eating copious amounts of saturated fat and oil or cooking eggs in trans fats may lead to an increase in cholesterol levels.

For most people, eggs raise HDL or 'good' cholesterol levels, and show no increase in LDL or 'bad' cholesterol.

Overall, eating eggs on a regular basis is a healthy practice.

(The author is nutritionist and dietitian, FITPASS)