Many people believe that egg yolks are not good for health and that consuming egg yolks has no benefits at all for the body. Is that true? In fact, consuming something as long as it is in the right portion or not in excess will not be harmful to the body, as well as egg yolks. Eggs are rich in choline which is a memory vitamin and also lutein and zeaxanthin which are antioxidants. One medium egg provides about 180-190 mg of cholesterol and our needs are under 300 mg/day.
However, you should also consider the consumption of egg yolks so that you may avoid some of the diseases caused by egg yolks.
In this article, I will share with you the advantages and disadvantages of consuming egg yolks.
The Advantages of Consuming Egg Yolks
1. Does not increase total blood cholesterol
Eggs are rich in cholesterol. Eating one egg is even enough to meet your daily cholesterol needs. However, please note that cholesterol derived from daily food does not increase total cholesterol.
Every day, your liver produces cholesterol to meet the body’s needs. If you eat a high-cholesterol diet, this organ compensates by reducing cholesterol production. That way, your blood cholesterol will remain stable.
2. Increase good cholesterol
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the good cholesterol that is beneficial for your body. We know that cholesterol can cause disease, but HDL is good for our body that can actually reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other diseases.
Eating egg yolks has been shown to be beneficial for the heart as it can increase LDL levels. To get these properties, it is enough to eat two eggs every day for six weeks. This is enough to increase HDL levels by up to 10 percent.
3. Potentially lowers the risk of heart disease
Eating egg yolks can actually increase levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) known as bad cholesterol. However, please note that there are two types of LDL, namely large-particle LDL and small-particle LDL.
Although LDL levels can increase after you eat egg yolks, studies show that the particle size can become large. This is a good thing because large LDL particles do not harm the heart like small LDL particles.
4. Help lose weight
Although high in fat, eating egg yolks actually has benefits for weight loss. This is because egg yolk is a high-protein food that can provide a feeling of fullness and reduce the desire to eat a lot.
The fat content of egg yolks also provides energy reserves when the body has run out of sugar as the main energy source. This is why egg yolks can be a powerful diet companion as long as they are consumed in reasonable amounts.
5. Helps nourish the eyes
Egg yolks are a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two powerful antioxidants that can nourish the eyes. Both collect in the retinal wall and protect it from the damage that occurs with age.
You can get the benefits of lutein and zeaxanthin by consuming egg yolks regularly. In addition to healthy eyes, both are also proven to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration which can cause blindness.
6. Helps build muscle
Most people who are building muscle usually increase their protein intake by eating egg whites. In fact, did you know that egg yolks are also rich in protein so they can be a muscle-building food?
Egg yolk protein is also classified as a high-quality protein because it contains almost all types of amino acids. These amino acids will increase muscle mass, strengthen bones, and nourish your body as a whole.
Although high in cholesterol, egg yolks are actually beneficial. Regular consumption can nourish the heart, eyes, and muscles, and has the potential to lose weight. To get the benefits of egg yolk, make sure you balance it with a balanced nutritious diet.
Disadvantages of Consuming Egg Yolk
Eggs are food with fairly complete nutrition. In addition to containing protein, eggs also have carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that are useful for the body.
Even so, did you know that there are bad effects on the body if you eat too much egg yolk?
Here below are the various risks the side effects of consuming too much egg yolk. The dangers of eating eggs every day can cause various serious health problems. Some of them are as follows:
1. Increases the risk of heart disease
The high content of cholesterol in an egg can lead to the formation of plaque on the artery walls and if this continues, the plaque will harden, causing atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is a thickening of the artery walls caused by the presence of excess fat and cholesterol so that blood flow can be disrupted and even blocked. If atherosclerosis occurs in the walls of the heart, it can cause coronary heart disease or deadly ischemic heart disease.
2. Increase the risk of diabetes
Eggs contain fat that can trigger type 2 diabetes, especially in women. Research has shown that consuming chicken eggs every day can increase the risk of diabetes by 55% in men and 77% in women.
3. Causes acne
Some people who have acne on their faces will get more acne if they consume eggs too often. Some processed foods from meat or eggs contain quite a lot of carbohydrates that can cause inflammation in the body.
As a result of inflammation, the skin will increase oil production, especially facial skin, this can invite bacteria and risk causing acne to appear.
4. Risk of obesity
One egg contains about 70 calories and 4.5 mg of fat and if you consume in excess in a day, it will make weight gain. Processed foods that mix eggs in food dishes such as instant noodles, either boiled or fried, have very high-calorie content.
It is recommended for those who are on a diet not to consume eggs in excess to keep the weight from increasing.
5. Disrupt hormone balance
Some laying hens will receive hormone injections to be able to continu
e to produce eggs. Chickens can reduce the content of these hormones in their eggs. Consuming eggs from chickens that have been injected with hormones can make the body experience a hormonal imbalance.
