Are Egg Yolks Good or Bad For You?

Egg white omelets have become synonymous with being a “healthy” omelet. But by tossing out your egg yolk, you’re also tossing out one of the most nutritious part of the egg.

Egg yolks, but not egg whites, contain vitamins A, D, E and K, along with omega-3 fats. Compared to egg whites, egg yolks also contain more beneficial folate and vitamin B12. The yolks contain far more of the nutrient choline than the whites and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.

Egg yolks have been unfairly demonized for decades, because they contain cholesterol and saturated fat. But contrary to the prevailing nutritional opinion that they should be avoided, the cholesterol and saturated fat in animal foods, such as egg yolks, are quite beneficial for your health.

Cholesterol-Rich Foods Tend to Be Among the Best for Your Health:

Many of the healthiest foods happen to be rich in cholesterol and saturated fats. Cholesterol has been condemned since the early 1950s, following the popularization of Ancel Keys, Ph.D.'s flawed research.

But cholesterol has many health benefits. It plays a key role in regulating protein pathways involved in cell signaling and is the building block for many hormones.

It's already known that cholesterol plays a critical role within your cell membranes, but research suggests that cholesterol also interacts with proteins inside your cells. Your body is composed of 10 trillion cells that need to communicate with each other.

Cholesterol is one of the molecules that allow for these interactions to take place. For example, cholesterol is the precursor to bile acids, so without sufficient amounts of cholesterol, your digestive system can be adversely impacted by not being able to emulsify fats.

It also plays an essential role in your brain, which contains about 25% of the cholesterol in your body. It is critical for synapse formation, which are the connections between your neurons that allow you to think, learn new things and form memories.

Eating Cholesterol-Rich Foods Doesn’t Lead to High Cholesterol:

One egg yolk contains about 210 milligrams of cholesterol, which is why public health agencies have long suggested Americans limit their intake.

This is a highly flawed recommendation. Eating cholesterol-rich food doesn’t cause your cholesterol levels to significantly increase.

Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Dr. Steven Nissen estimates that only 20% of your blood cholesterol levels come from your diet. The rest of the cholesterol in your body is produced by your liver, which it makes because your body needs cholesterol.

One survey of South Carolina adults found no correlation of blood cholesterol levels with so-called "bad" dietary habits, such as consumption of red meat, animal fats, butter, eggs, whole milk, bacon, sausage and cheese.

Consumption of more than six eggs per week also does not increase your risk of getting a stroke.

The New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Have Removed Dietary Cholesterol Limits:

If you’re still worried about the cholesterol in egg yolks, take a look at the newly released 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. As recently as 2010, U.S. dietary guidelines described cholesterol-rich foods as “foods and food components to reduce.”

They advised people to eat less than 300 milligrams per day, despite mounting evidence that dietary cholesterol has very little to do with cholesterol levels in your body.

The latest guidelines have finally removed this misguided suggestion and they even added egg yolks to the list of suggested sources of protein.

More Research Shows Eating Eggs Doesn’t Raise Heart Risks:

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, even carriers of the ApoE4 gene, which makes them highly susceptible to heart disease, egg and cholesterol intake was not associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease.

Choline:

Choline is a B vitamin known for its role in brain development. It’s a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a role in both muscle control and memory. Choline is also important for the health of your cell membranes and has anti-inflammatory properties.

An estimated 90% of the U.S. population may be deficient in choline. Some of the symptoms of low choline are; memory problems, lethargy and persistent brain fog.

Your body can only synthesize small amounts of this nutrient, so you need to get it from your diet. One egg yolk contains nearly 215 mg of choline.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin:

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids. Zeaxanthin is an antioxidant carotenoid found in your retina, but it cannot be made by your body, so you must get it from your diet. Lutein is found in your macular pigment, which helps protect your central vision and aids in blue light absorption.

Both zeaxanthin and lutein are also found in high concentrations in your macula lutea, the small central part of your retina responsible for detailed central vision.

While there's no recommended daily intake for lutein and zeaxanthin, studies have found health benefits for lutein at a dose of 10 mg per day and at 2 mg/day for zeaxanthin. One egg yolk contains about 0.2 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin.

Organic and Free-Range: Choose Your Eggs Wisely

Choose eggs from a high-quality source. Free-range or "pastured" organic eggs are far superior when it comes to nutrient content, while conventionally raised eggs are far more likely to be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria such as salmonella.

The Highest-Quality Egg Yolks Are Bright Orange, Not Yellow:

The key to finding truly free-range, pastured eggs is to buy your eggs locally. Foraged hens produce eggs with bright orange yolks. Dull, pale yellow yolks are a sure sign you're getting eggs form caged hens that are not allowed to forage for their natural diet.

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