If you're looking for the best muscle-building food, eggs stand alone. They are complete in protein (they have all nine essential amino acids) and are easily digested in the body. Eggs also provide numerous compounds associated with muscle, performance and health, as well as healthy fats that may prevent overeating. As for the price, you won't find a cheaper health food (a big advantage over high protein meats). So how many eggs can you eat a day without overdoing it?
The debate about whether eggs are harmful to health is a very old one. While some studies conclude that eggs are a great addition to a healthy diet (the Mayo Clinic notes that up to seven eggs a week can even prevent strokes), other studies would have you believe that you should avoid them like the plague. So what gives?
Claire Benoist
Years ago, everyone ordered their omelets with only egg whites for fear of high cholesterol. Later, egg yolk received health approval for its nutritional load. Now, research Journal of the American Medical Association once again linking eggs to heart problems. So how afraid should we really be of our favorite breakfast food? Luke Laffin, a preventive cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic, and Maxine Smith, RD, LD, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Human Nutrition, explain.
“The research looks alarming, but men who are active and generally eat healthily shouldn't be overly concerned,” says Laffin. “Nutrition studies tend to draw broad conclusions, especially when talking about a single dietary component, such as eggs.”
“But we shouldn't ignore the findings. The study is legitimate and was done with a very diverse group of people. My takeaway here is this: Remember that high-cholesterol foods like eggs may increase the risk of future cardiovascular disease. If you have personal or family heart problems and consume a dozen eggs a week, you're likely to find yourself eating more than a dozen eggs a week.” “If you can limit it to three or four whole eggs, that's ideal; if you're going to crack open more than that, don't worry.”
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Smith agrees: “Eggs have 187 mg of cholesterol, and the recommended limit is 300 mg per day; only 200 mg if you have diabetes or heart disease risk factors. “You can definitely eat one egg a day.”
Remember that we are talking about egg yolks here. You can have unlimited egg whites, which are mostly protein (and not much else).
While it's good to be careful about the amount of eggs you consume, new research shows that eating whole eggs may not negatively affect our bodies as we previously thought. In fact, according to a recent study American Journal of Clinical Nutrition equal men who are People who are genetically predisposed to coronary artery disease can eat whole eggs every day without a higher risk. It might be time for bodybuilders to stop asking the question: “Is it bad to eat 6 eggs a day?” This research shows that you can safely eat much more than we previously thought.
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Smith says the recommendation should still be conservative because some people respond so greatly to dietary cholesterol. “But we don't know who these people are,” he explains. Also, if you're on a diet high in saturated fat, the cholesterol in eggs may have a more profound effect on your bad “LDL” cholesterol levels.
Eating the same foods every day can help you maintain your weight. “It's about limiting options,” Smith explains. But it's better to have variety in your diet, so if you're going to consume an egg every day, eat it with salsa or spinach and wheat toast.
Related: The 11 Healthiest Bread Options to Eat and Their Health Benefits
“Instead of focusing solely on eggs, look at your overall diet. If it was a choice between scrambled eggs and blueberry muffins, 10 times out of 10 I'd say eggs,” adds Dr. Laffin. Laffin. “Moderate diets are actually what everyone should strive for. Eggs are an easy way to incorporate protein into your diet, but other sources like chicken, fish, tofu and quinoa also have their place.”
But what if you need to cut back on eggs? Try another type of breakfast that includes a variety of foods that you can repeat every day (for example, oatmeal with mixed berries and milk) and stick to other lean protein sources like grilled chicken, fish, black beans and nut butters.
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