Egg whites vs. Egg Yolks

Now talk about a controversial little ingredient.  So what’s the big talk and all this concern over egg yolks vs. egg whites?  Information on eggs keeps changing but here is what we suggest at Hilton Head Health. 

First off, egg yolks contain the fat found in eggs, which is where the cholesterol comes from. Theres is no fat in the egg white and it contains a slightly larger amount of protein than the yolk.  Those are usually the only things we talk about when referring to eggs.  We forget the folate that’s in eggs and the selenium.  But we never really know what that means to our health so we just focus on what we know: calories, fat and protein. 

If high cholesterol runs in the gene pool of your family or if you have current issues with your cholesterol being high, it’s best to consume whole eggs maybe 2 times a week. If naturally high cholesterol does not run in your gene pool and your current cholesterol is normal, you are able to have maybe 1-2 eggs every day.  Remember that cholesterol plays a really big part in your health.  High cholesterol leads to heart disease or even stroke, so there is good reason to watch your cholesterol intake.  And, no it’s not just eggs that we get cholesterol from-its fat from anything animal derived. 

Remember that you still have to prepare these eggs in a nutritional manner.  You can’t use 1 tablespoon of butter to cook you eggs.  It’s not just the role eggs play on our health that we need to consider; we also need to watch the butter, cheese, bacon, sausage or cream that is being added to this delightful food. 

Here are some tips for using both egg whites and yolks for either side of the spectrum:

You could always use two whole eggs, but toss out one of the yolks.  Or perhaps use three egg whites plus one egg yolk to make scrambled eggs.  Any change is better than no change, especially if you’re looking to keep the volume the same but to cut back on calories.

Now remember when I talked about Selenium and folic acid (folate)? These are important roles in your health too.  Folic acid (VitaminB9) helps in the synthesis of DNA, aids the amino acid metabolism and helps form red and white blood cells.  As for Selenium, it’s best known for its antioxidant properties, which help repair damaged cells.  Both sound pretty important to me and they are both found in the egg yolk.  As we say at Hilton Head Health, everything in moderation. As you can see, taking egg yolks completely out of your diet is not nutritionally beneficial other than lowering your fat and calories. 

For all my egg salad lovers out there, you can make your egg salad healthier by simply taking out a few of those yolks... not all of them of course.  Then add a low fat or light mayonnaise and serve on a whole wheat sandwich thin. 

Keeping eggs in your diet is a good thing. Your personal health should determine the amount and the frequency you should consume them.

EGGcellent Health

I hope you already heard, but last Friday a huge salmonella outbreak led to the recall of numerous brands and cartons of eggs. Sometimes we put all our eggs in one basket, but before you do make sure to check the labels!  Visit the U.S. egg safety site to learn which eggs are the ones to ditch.

 

What you need to know, is that the CDC has received over 2,000 reports of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), a common bacteria found in eggs that results in food poisoning. Most cases of salmonella go unreported, however since mid-July the CDC has confirmed way more cases than normal linking them all the way back to the egg farms across the states. Currently, about 16 different brands have been recalled, but the list continues to grow daily so check back whenever you can.

 

So what are the symptoms? How can I treat SE? How can I avoid it all together?

 

Symptoms – Fever, abdominal cramps, or diarrhea 15 to 72 hours after eating

Treatment – Hydration is the best route, anti-biotics can actually prolong the duration of Salmonella

How to avoid – Throw out the infected eggs, keep eggs refrigerated, and discard cracked or dirty eggs

 

With the breakout aside, I’m here to tell you that eggs are actually EGGcellent for your health. Eggs sometimes get a bad reputation, particularly because of their high cholesterol content. People are under the impression that the cholesterol in eggs directly translates into elevated blood cholesterol, makes sense right? This is actually not true.

 

According to a study cited by WebMD involving 25 years of research, cholesterol in food is surely not responsible for increases in our blood cholesterol. The cholesterol in our bloodstream is much more influenced by the amount of saturate fat in our diets. For example, consuming full-fat dairy products or fatty meats trigger our bodies to produce much more cholesterol than an egg. Basically, I’m giving you the okay to crack an egg and here’s why:

 

-  Keep you feeling full! Highest biological value for protein (along with milk)

-  1 Egg = 75 calories, 7grams of protein, 5grams of fat

-  Nutrient rich! Packed with iron, vitamins, and minerals

-  Good for your eyes! Eggs contain high amounts of carotenoids, which are linked to reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration (blindness)

-  Healthy Brain! Choline content in eggs has be linked to increasing brain development and memory

-  Easy to Eat and inexpensive! Truly a quick fix in the morning and cheap

 

Staying on a low-fat diet is sometimes difficult, so by incorporating eggs into the plan you’ll stay satiated longer. As a general warning, make sure to still monitor your egg intake throughout the week because we still have to keep an eye on our cholesterol content for the day. The American Heart Association allows for one egg a day, while still limiting daily cholesterol to 300 mg. So there may be a recall going on, but don’t let that get you down, scramble it up whenever you can!

 

Check out the Member's Only website for healthy egg recipes!