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Egg yolks contain unhealthy levels of cholesterol

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Individuals who are trying to lower their cholesterol test results may want to stay away from egg yolks. A new study from Canadian researchers has found that a single yolk can contain more cholesterol than some fast food meals.

A team of investigators from the University of Western Ontario reviewed a set of previous studies containing information on the nutritional qualities of eggs. They found that the yolk of one large egg can contain anywhere from 215 to 275 milligrams of cholesterol. For comparison, they said that fast food meals often contain just 150 milligrams.

Patients who have had high cholesterol test results are generally advised to keep their total cholesterol consumption to less than 200 milligrams per day, the authors wrote.

"We wanted to put cholesterol into perspective, as there's been a widespread misconception developing among the public and even physicians, that consumption of dietary cholesterol and egg yolks is harmless," said David Spence, who led the study. "Much of this has to do with effective egg marketing."

He added that individuals who trying to lower their cholesterol should consider eating only egg whites, which are still high in protein and other nutrients but are much lower in cholesterol.