En esta noticia
For years, the egg carried the reputation of being a heart enemy because of its cholesterol content, and many people cut it out of breakfast just in case.
Today, science has rewritten that story: according to Harvard research, eating one egg a day is safe for the heart for most people and does not increase the risk of having a heart attack.
What happens to your body if you eat an egg every day, according to Harvard
The conclusion is based on large studies, many of them carried out at the Harvard Medical School, which followed hundreds of thousands of people over decades. The participants reported what they ate and what health problems they developed over time.
The result was clear: those who consumed up to one egg a day did not show higher rates of heart attacks, strokes (CVA) or other cardiovascular diseases than the rest.
In Harvard’s own words, the cholesterol from one egg a day is safe for most people, and one egg a day does not increase the risk of a heart attack.
Why the cholesterol in eggs is not the problem
For a long time it was assumed that cholesterol from food translated directly into cholesterol in the blood, but the body does not work that linearly.
Most of the cholesterol that circulates in the blood is produced by the liver itself, and it does so mainly in response to saturated fats and trans fats in the diet, not so much to the cholesterol that comes in food. That is why the cholesterol in eggs weighs much less than was believed in blood cholesterol levels.
What really matters: what you eat the egg with
This is the nuance that should not be overlooked, because that is where the real risk lies. What usually harms the heart is not the egg itself, but what accompanies it. Harvard is clear: the saturated fat in butter, cheese, bacon, sausages, muffins or pastries raises blood cholesterol much more than the cholesterol in eggs.
The same goes for refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, home fries, dough and pastries, which can also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. In other words: a boiled or poached egg with whole-grain bread is very different from a fried egg in butter with bacon and white toast.