Eating Less than One Egg a Day Increases Heart Disease and Diabetes Risk

No matter how they’re fried, scrambled, or whipped, eggs are “by far the number one source of cholesterol in the American diet,” with health consequences that may be even more severe than smoking.

This is hardly new information. In fact, 20 years ago, the Federal Trade Commission engaged in legal action to stop the egg industry from claiming eggs had no harmful effects on health. But that hasn’t actually stopped the egg industry from trying.

Government documents uncovered by NutritionFacts.org reveal that the US Dept. of Agriculture has warned the egg industry that when it comes to advertising:  “you need to steer clear of words ‘healthy’ or ‘nutritious'” because such claims are false and misleading. What’s more is that the USDA says eggs cannot even be marketed as “safe.”

If anyone still has doubts, a new report that compiles the best research on egg consumption from 1930 to today found that eating even “less than a single egg a day was associated with a significantly increased risk of heart disease.”  Specifically, those who ate the most eggs have a 19% increased chance of heart disease, a 68% increased chance of diabetes, and for those who get diabetes, there is an 85% increased chance of heart disease as well.

Heart disease is the nation’s number one killer, affecting nearly 600,000 people each year, and diabetes is number seven on that list, taking approximately 70,000 lives annually.

Leaving eggs out of our shopping carts isn’t just good for our own personal health — it’s also good for chickens!  Be kind to yourself and all animals by choosing cruelty-free options such as The Vegg, or explore our delicious egg-free baking suggestions.