http://kdvr.com/2012/08/14/study-egg-yolks-almost-as-dangerous-as-smoking-cigarettes/Whether they’re fried, over-easy or scrambled—eggs are a favorite at The Egg & I, and at home.
“In the morning, a soft-boiled egg is really easy to prepare and I don’t have to wash any dishes,” chuckles restaurant customer Jo Ann Hudson.
“I like the flavor,” says another customer, Siv Feierabend.
They’re full of healthy protein, vitamins and fatty acids.
But a new study says the cholesterol in egg yolks is almost as dangerous as smoking cigarettes—two-thirds as bad.
“I definitely think it can be confusing,” says registered dietician Jessica Crandall with Denver Wellness and Nutrition in Englewood.
Crandall says the study is one of many to deal with egg yolks that offer contradictory conclusions.
This one found both smoking and regularly eating egg yolks accelerates plaque buildup in arteries that can lead to heart attacks and stroke.
Data from 1,262 people in London show those eating three or more yolks a week had significantly more plaque than those who ate two or fewer yolks a week.
“One large egg has 100 calories, 230 milligrams of cholesterol in the yolk,” says Crandall.
She says we should have no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day.
She recommends eating no more than three egg yolks a week.
“I’m not concerned about it,” says Feierabend.
But egg eaters crack up at the study’s concept.
“I never heard anyone get second-hand cholesterol from eating eggs either. You have the second-hand smoke,” says customer Raymon Allen.
“What’s good for you today is bad for you tomorrow. There’s so much research and studies, you have to be really able to decipher and read between the lines. I’m not going to panic about eggs,” says customer Kathryn Bannister
Crandall says there’s conflicting research on whether eggs affect people’s cholesterol levels.
Some studies say they do, some say they don’t.
Also, this study did not take into account factors such as exercise, waist size and genetics.