Really...how many eggs per day!

Eggs have been eaten by mankind for who knows how many years. Eggs are laid by the female species of an animal. In my opinion, mankind has consumed chicken eggs more than that of any bird or animal. Quail eggs are considered a delicacy in many countries. Shown below are sample pictures of quail and chicken eggs:

Quail eggs

Chicken eggs

An egg basically consists of the protective outer shell, the egg white (albumin) and the egg yolk (vitellus). The yolk and white of eggs are very nutritious, rich in proteins. Eggs from ducks, goose and other birds are also consumed. Of course, eggs from reptiles have also featured in gourmet foods. Eggs are used for different things in dishes...from baking, salads to desserts/drinks.

But there is some uncertainty about how many eggs to eat in a day. This is particularly because reports have suggested that high egg consumption will increase the cholesterol levels in our blood. And we all know too high cholesterol levels in our blood is not good for heart health. On the other hand, other reports have found no link between dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol. So will consuming too many eggs per day lead to an increase in serum/blood cholesterol...? Depending on what you read, there is no limit on egg consumption per day for most people; the number of eggs you choose to eat in a day depends on your age, weight...

According to a study by Djoussé et al., (Egg consumption and risk of Heart Failure in the physicians' health study, Circulation 2008 117: 453-455) consumption of more than one egg per day is associated with an increased risk for heart failure is US males.  Another study suggests that eating an egg per day is associated with high risks of type 2 diabetes (Djoussé et al., Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women, Diabetes Care. 2009 Feb;32(2):295-300). There are other studies that associate eating one/more eggs per day to some disease.

The question still stands; how many eggs per day should the average person consume? Perhaps the answer may not be as straightforward as one will expect. A physician or dietitian may suggest that one egg per day is good...another physician or dietitian may suggest 3 or 4 eggs per week. Yet another physician or dietitian may suggest assessing your serum cholesterol levels, exercise rate, age and general heart health before giving a definite answer on the number of eggs/day to consume.

My suggestion...? Moderation is the key. In toxicology, our adage is "The dose makes the poison". Even drinking too much water may prove "poisonous". In dietetics, I think the slogan for cholesterol and fatty foods should be "If you cannot burn it, don't build it". A word to the wise...

Health Benefits Of Olive Oil

Olive oil is obtained from the tree crop Olea europea that grows in the Mediterranean basin. The oil is extracted from the olive that grows on the tree crop. Olive oil finds use in our foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and oil lamp. The importance of olive oil is evidenced by the presence of an International Olive Oil Council (IOC) http://www.internationaloliveoil.org/. For details about the varieties of olive oil, its regulation and production, refer to the IOC website or to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil

Olive oil undoubtedly has numerous health benefits, otherwise there wouldn't be so many uses for olive and olive oil in pharmaceutical industries, food, cosmetics and other fields. Personally, we like to use olive oil in cooking for our kid. Because even a small bottle of olive oil is more expensive than a gallon of other oils on the market, we don't tend to use it in our own foods but that of our little princess.

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat and can lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in the body. LDL are the so-called "bad cholesterol"; olive oil can therefore lower the risk of heart attack by lowering LDL levels in the body. According to Mayo Clinic, "extra-virgin" or "virgin" olive oils are the most heart healthy because they are the least processed (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037).
A recent study by Saleh Nk & Saleh HA [BMC Complement Altern Med 2011, 11(1):10] suggests that "olive oil...is a promising candidate for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis". That is to say, olive oil can mitigate bone calcium loss in postmenopausal women. Another study by Oi-Kano et al. [2007, 18(10):685-692] suggests that extra virgin olive oil enhances heat generation in adipose tissues.

Olive oil is reportedly rich in antioxidants and other studies have found an inverse relationship between olive oil consumption and the incidence of certain cancers{[Menendez et al., Eur Journal of Cancer, 2006:42(15);2425-32], [Brinkman et al., Eur Journal of Cancer, 2011:47(3);436-42], [Owen et al., 2000:36(10);1235-47]}. If possible, chose to use olive oil in your foods. It is evidently healthy.