The Danger of Daily Egg Consumption

Chicken egg without eggshell.

My friend, let's call him Yuri, loves to eat egg in any form of dishes. But, mostly he loves to eat a boiling egg. Everyday, he used to eat at least three boiling eggs with rice for daily meals.

I once asked Yuri, Have you ever get bore of eating egg everyday? No, I prefer to eat egg rather than meat, Yuri answered.

I did not actually believe to what Yuri had said. But, when I came to his house with my family, in a conversation, his wife told a story about Yuri to my wife and I. A kind of weird story to believe in.

Yuri's wife said, When my neighbour had a feast, my husband was not like everyone else. All my neighbours were taking Goat Satay, and Goat Curry for their meals. But, Yuri only took two pieces of boiling eggs for himself.

My wife and I suddenly laughed with Yuri's habits of eating eggs. I then believed to what Yuri once ever told me.

The Nutritional Value

White, speckled, and brown chicken eggs.

Nutritional value contains in hard boiled chicken egg per 100 g:

• Water : 74.62 g
• Energy : 155 kcal
• Total fats : 10.61 g
• Carbohydrate : 1.12 g
• Total sugars : 1.12 g
• Total saturated fatty acids : 3.267 g
• Total monounsaturated fatty acids : 4.077 g
• Total polyunsaturated fatty acids : 1.414
• Total cholesterol : 373 mg
• Vitamin A : 149 µg
• Vitamin B1 (thiamin) : 0.066 mg
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) : 0.513 mg
• Vitamin B6 : 0.121 mg
• Vitamin B9 (folate) : 44 µg
• Vitamin B12 : 1.11 µg
• Vitamin D : 2.2 µg
• Vitamin E (α-tocopherol) : 1.03 mg
• Vitamin K (phylloquinone) : 0.3 µg
• Niacin : 0.064 mg
• Calcium (Ca) : 50 mg
• Iron (Fe) : 1.19 mg
• Magnesium (Mg) : 10 mg
• Phosphorus (P) : 172 mg
• Potassium (K) : 126 mg
• Sodium (Na) : 124 mg
• Zinc (Zn) : 1.05 mg (USDA)

The Scientific Studies

Egg is considered to be a complete food, due to rich in many nutrients, and economically accessible. The cholesterol value in egg has important properties for human. But, the reduction in egg consumption has been widely recommended to lower blood cholesterol levels and to prevent coronary heart disease (CHD).

A study in Harvard Medical School among 37,851 men aged 40 to 75 years, and 80,082 women aged 34 to 59 years, free of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, or cancer, had documented 866 incident cases of CHD and 258 incident cases of stroke in men after 8 years later. Also 939 incident cases of CHD, and 563 incident cases of stroke in women after 14 years later.

The study found no evidence about the link between egg consumption and risk of CHD, or stroke in either men, or women. Harvard scientists also suggest that consumption of up to 1 egg per day, is unlikely to have substantial overall impact on the risk of CHD or stroke among healthy men and women. (Hu FB, et al. 1999)

In the other hand, daily egg consumption is is likely to have an impact on the risk of diabetes mellitus. Still in Harvard Medical School, a study among 20,703 men, and 36,295 women, had found that high levels of daily egg consumption are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women. (Djoussé L, et al. 2009)

However, a continuous study by Djoussé L, et al. published in 2010, had found that there was no association between egg consumption and increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes, in older adults with limited egg intake. (Djoussé L, et al. 2010)

Several studies have also suggested that higher egg consumption may increase the risk of cancer. In a multisite case control study in Uruguay, between 1996 and 2004, had found an association between higher intake of eggs and increased risk of several cancers. (Aune D, et al. 2009)

I assume that everything which are taken excessively might have negative side effects. In the case of Yuri's egg consumption, even though Yuri's favorite egg dish of boiling egg, in which is healthier than sunny side up (fried chicken egg), half cooked egg, or even raw egg, but, his daily three eggs consumption should be reduced.

So, what do you think about it? Do you love to have sunny side up for breakfast? Well, I don't. I really hate to eat half cooked egg, or even raw egg. Because in an half cooked egg, or raw egg might still consist Salmonella bacteria, that can cause severe food poisoning.

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