For many people with diabetes, the most challenging aspect of care is determining what to eat. As a diabetes educator, one of the many questions I’m frequently asked is, “Can I eat eggs?” Until recently eggs were demonized because of their high cholesterol content. But eggs seem to be making a bit of a comeback, particularly after the release of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) Scientific Report.
The DGAC removed the prior recommendation to limit consumption of dietary cholesterol to no more than 300 mg per day because current evidence shows no appreciable relationship between dietary cholesterol – found in food and cholesterol found in the blood. Moreover, there are many factors that influence your blood cholesterol more than dietary cholesterol, such as physical activity, your body weight, intake of saturated and trans fat, heredity, age, and your sex.
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) also recommend three healthy eating patterns—the Healthy U.S.-style, the Healthy Mediterranean-style and the Healthy Vegetarian-style. These healthy eating patterns, which have been shown to reduce the risk of major chronic health conditions—including diabetes, all incorporate eggs. However, the change in cholesterol recommendation and the inclusion of eggs in the healthy eating patterns is not an indicator that dietary cholesterol is no longer important to consider.
Studies show that eating one egg a day does not increase blood cholesterol levels in most people. But diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease. So, if you have high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes, you should monitor your cholesterol levels and ask your health care provider just how many eggs you can eat.
There is more to eggs than cholesterol. Here are some of the health benefits of eggs:
Nutrition Powerhouse. Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse, with one egg containing 6 grams of high-quality protein, nine essential amino acids, 13 essential vitamins and minerals, all for just 70 calories. Eggs are one of the few foods that are a naturally good source of vitamin D. And there is evidence that suggests vitamin D may play a role in insulin and glucose regulation.
No Added Sugar. Eggs contain only one ingredient – “eggs.” They have no sugar or carbohydrates, which makes it easy to eat a well-rounded, healthy low carb breakfast.
Egg-cellent Source of Choline. One egg contains about 125 milligrams of choline, making it an excellent source of this essential nutrient required for life’s most basic functions, such as normal cell activity, liver function and transporting nutrients throughout the body. There is also evidence that people who eat foods rich in choline have low levels of markers of inflammation such as c-reactive protein. Inflammation is a risk factor for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
High Quality Protein. Eggs are all natural and one of the highest quality proteins available. The high-quality protein in eggs provides steady and sustained energy because it does not cause a spike in blood sugar or insulin levels. Protein affects muscle mass, strength, and function. When eaten after exercise, protein encourages muscle tissue repair and growth.
Help Weight Loss. High-quality protein, like the protein in eggs, can help with weight loss. Research suggests that eating eggs for breakfast may help with weight loss, lower your body mass index and shrink your waist more than eating a bagel breakfast with the same number of calories. Weight loss can improve insulin sensitivity, decrease fasting glucose levels and reduce the need for diabetes medication.
Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, national speaker and author of The African American Guide to Living Well with Diabetes.. She is a Dannon One Yogurt Every Day Nutrition Advisor.
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