Eggs, Cholesterol, and the Diabetic Menu

The source of many vitamins and minerals and once, and perhaps still, a staple of the American diet, eggs have acquired a somewhat negative reputation in recent years. This is because of the cholesterol content in their yolks and, like links in a chain, because cholesterol is associated with heart disease, and heart disease is associated with diabetes, eggs are sometimes left off of the diabetic menu.

And that is a pity because nutritionally, eggs are a perfect food, an inexpensive source of the highest quality protein essential to the human body, providing all the amino acids that the body needs but cannot manufacture. A single egg provides more than ten percent of the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of protein, together with many essential vitamins and most of the minerals needed by the body. In addition to being a rich in nutrients, eggs have no effect on blood sugars, a good reason to include them in the diabetic menu.

As far as cholesterol is concerned, yes they do contain cholesterol, an egg of medium size has roughly 185 milligrams and a large egg about 215 milligrams, all of it in the yolk, none in the egg white.

Regarding cholesterol and heart health, many studies have found that saturated fat rather than cholesterol has the most effect on blood cholesterol. Research conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health with a very large number of participants, reported in the newspapers in 2008, showed that the dietary cholesterol found in eggs has no harmful affects on blood cholesterol in healthy people. Many other studies also have shown there to be no link between eating eggs and an increased risk of heart disease or stoke in healthy people.

The question arises in reference to those studies that report no increased risks from eating eggs, because there is the added statement "in healthy people". People who have diabetes are suffering from a serious disease and that is certainly not a healthy condition. So perhaps there is some uncertainty in the matter.

However, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) advises in it's publication titled "101 Tips on Nutrition for People with Diabetes, that it is not necessary to eliminate eggs from the diabetic menu. The American Heart Association states that, for those with diabetes or heart disease, it would be wiser to consume small or medium eggs rather than large eggs.

The Mayo Clinic in a newsletter, makes the distinction in the acceptable consumption of cholesterol in eggs between healthy adults and adults who have diabetes. They advise that the maximum daily limit of dietary cholesterol for healthy adults should be 300 milligrams compared to 200 milligrams for those with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or those persons diagnosed as having high levels of LDL, the undesirable form of cholesterol.

It would seem that the otherwise healthy diabetic, unless ultra sensitive to dietary cholesterol, might well benefit from the total nutrition provided by eggs and it would therefore be acceptable to include them in the diabetic diet.

Author's Comments:

As a type-2 diabetic of many years, I do my best to stay informed on all things related to diabetes and offer my views at my website where there is additional information on the above topic at Eggs, Yes or No? and on a wider range of diabetes subject matter at Diabetic Menu Guide. Please visit and check it out, Thanks, Jim R.