Eggs Are Worse Than Cigarettes?

Eggs are the Dr Jekylll and Mr Hyde of the breakfast world. One day they’re a diet darling, chockful of healthy fats, vitamin E, and protein. The next thing you hear: Eggs are bad for you—as bad as cigarettes, in fact, according to a recent study in the journal Atherosclerosis.

Confused? We’ve got you covered.

First, here’s the deal on that new study. Researchers from Western University in Canada examined over 1,200 men and women to come to the conclusion that regularly eating egg yolks was two-thirds as bad as smoking when it comes to carotid plaque in the arteries, a known risk factor for stroke and heart attack.

But before you ditch the eggs, experts point out that this study doesn’t exactly give the whole picture. The main crack: The research shows an association between egg consumption and plaque buildup, rather than a cause-and-effect relationship, says cardiologist Gordon Tomaselli, MD from the American Heart Association. (In other words, there’s no way to tell which came first, the plaque or the egg.) The study also didn’t control for what else participants ate or take into account how much they exercised, which can play a big role in heart disease, Dr Tomaselli says.

“While it’s interesting that the graphs of egg yolk consumption and smoking take a similar shape when looking at carotid plaque build-up, this study doesn’t take into account the many other adverse effects of smoking, namely high blood pressure and lung cancer,” says Dr Tomaselli.

And your rise-and-shine scramble has more to it than just cholesterol: “Eggs contain many other nutrients, including unsaturated fats, which may be beneficial in preventing cardiovascular disease,” says Gregg Fonarow, MD, of UCLA Cardiology. “Whether the net effect of egg consumption is beneficial, neutral, or harmful requires assessing more than just measuring the cholesterol content of egg yolk,” he says.

Here, the bottom line on how to eat eggs healthily:

1. Skip the three-egg omelette. It’s safest to limit your egg consumption to one a day. The American Heart Association recommends that most people limit their daily cholesterol intake to 300 milligrammes, and one yolk contains about 185 milligrammes. If a single-egg scramble simply won’t cut it, eat extra whites. “This way you’ll get the protein from the whites without the added cholesterol of the yolk,” says Dr Tomaselli.

2. Hold the bacon. One of the biggest oversights of this study is that it didn’t account for the other foods in a person’s diet—and anyone who’s ever ordered a Grand Slam knows that eggs usually come with side dishes that aren’t exactly good for you, says Marisa Moore, RD, from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Her advice? Pair your egg with fresh fruit, whole grain toast, and veggies instead of fennel sausage, a greasy hash, and bacon.

3. Snack smart. That cookie you’ve got your eye on? Well, that has egg in it too. “You have to be cognizant that other dishes contain eggs and cholesterol,” says Dr Tomaselli. When your next snack attack rolls around, reach for a handful of nuts, which are rich in heart-healthy Vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, and fibre.

4. Put ’em out to pasture. It pays to be choosy about which type of eggs you pick up at the supermarket. A 2010 study from Penn State University showed that hens who have kept outside on pastures rather than in cage-laid eggs that had twice as much vitamin E and 2.5 times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids than the eggs from their cooped-up counterparts. To make sure you’ve got the right ones, look for the word “pastured” on the carton. And as always, organic is best. (See what you can do to make hens—and your eggs—healthier and happier with Happier Hens On The Horizon.