Boiled, scrambled, poached, soft-boiled. Good in many ways, cheap, nutritious. Eggs are a perfect food: they contain noble proteins associated with fats (45% saturated, the rest mono and polyunsaturated), mineral salts and vitamins, especially vitamin A. Yet, since there is a lot in the yolk of cholesterol (about 300 milligrams), have always ended up in the dock and avoided by those who are at risk of cardiovascular problems.
Yes or no? Two studies have also created further confusion among consumers. In 2018, a study published onAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition he exonerated them, claiming that consuming as many as 12 eggs a week for a full year did not cause an increase in cardiovascular risk. Then, in 2019, a Northwestern University study stated the opposite: even just three to four eggs per week cause an 8% increase in cardiovascular risk (and a 6% risk of death). So?
Little meat, a lot of vegetables and legumes: the diet to feed 10 billion people
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“In reality, lMore recent research explains that it is the consumption of all foods with high cholesterol levels, not just eggs, to increase cardiovascular risk », comments nutritionist Stefania Ruggeri, del Food and Nutrition Research Center of the CREA: «sand we exclude eggs from the diet, but eat other foods that contain cholesterol, such as red meats, butter and cured meats, the health risk is exactly the same. Qwhat matters is to keep cholesterol levels under control by following a healthy and balanced diet, and practicing regular physical activity – and so you can eat safely also three or four eggs a week. “
THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET. Even for Enzo Spisni, professor of physiology of nutrition at the University of Bologna, the egg should not be demonized: «Today we know that it is not the dietary cholesterol that hurts; what matters is to reduce its synthesis by the liver, and this is achieved by following a balanced diet rich in fiber and antioxidants. Furthermore, cholesterol is harmful in the circulation especially if it is oxidized, and the egg is very rich in carotenoids which prevent its oxidation ». Hence the four eggs a week, as suggested for the Mediterranean diet, are entirely reasonable.
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WASH IT OR NOT? But be careful: even if the egg we are about to break is a little dirty with earth – and it can happen if you take the farmer’s eggs – it should never be washed under tap water. In fact, the chicken egg can be a vehicle for dangerous pathogens such as salmonella and washing it is a mistake because condensation can form on the shell which facilitates the passage of microbes inside … Better to break it and cook it, or throw it into boiling water for the soft-boiled, and then wash your hands well.
Also, pay attention to desserts, condiments and first courses that involve the use of raw eggs (such as tiramisu, mayonnaise or carbonara pasta): it is best to consume these foods immediately after preparation. Of course, especially in these cases, it is best to buy commercial eggs, which are subject to a rigorous system of controls, and, if you have a choice, extra fresh chicken eggs from organic farming are always preferable.
ITS PLACE IN THE FRIDGE. Finally, since everyone foods have different storage methods, even the eggs must be placed in the right place: in the central shelf of the refrigerator, where the temperature is about 4-5 ° C, preferably leaving them closed in their original packaging.
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