Cholesterol and pollutants Three eggs are okay at Easter

"Two eggs per day are enough!": Many of us grew up with this motto because the egg did not have a particularly good reputation for many years. There are many reasons for this, ranging from too much cholesterol and calories to salmonella or dioxin contamination.
However, experts are now rowing back and assume that the consumption of several eggs a day is not a problem. Therefore, the scrambled eggs at the Easter breakfast like to consist of three instead of two eggs.
Eggs are among the most nutritious foods
Whether supposedly unhealthy cholesterol, too many calories or salmonella contamination: many people still eat only a few eggs for fear of damage to their health. However, experts repeatedly emphasize that the concern is exaggerated and the egg is not nearly as bad as its reputation. Because it is one of the most nutrient-rich foods ever, as it is rich in essential vitamins (D, B, K), minerals (such as calcium, phosphorus, iron) and trace minerals in addition to fat and valuable proteins. The lecithin also contains, among other things, the liver, promotes the nerve strength and improves the ability to concentrate and memory.

There may also be 3 eggs. Picture: racamani - fotolia

"Eggs are the nutrient supply for the newborn chick. Therefore, it is also understandable that they contain a lot of good nutrients, "explains Berthold Koletzko to the news agency" dpa ". The common warning against the high amount of "bad" cholesterol is therefore just as little true as the assumption that spinach contains a lot of iron, said the head of the Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Medicine in Dr. med. from Haunerschen Children's Hospital of the University of Munich.

Body absorbs only a portion of cholesterol
The role of chicken egg for the cholesterol metabolism is therefore less significant than widely suspected: "It is much more important if we roast eggs in unsaturated fat from vegetable oil or in saturated fat, for example, from lard, which increases the blood cholesterol much more." Egg has about 400 milligrams of cholesterol, "that sounds like a lot," says Koletzko. But this amount can not normally be dangerous to the body, because special mechanisms in the digestive system ensure that it does not absorb too much cholesterol from the food into the blood.

In addition, the body produces the largest proportion of the fat-like substance itself, because it is needed for the production of bile, hormones and vitamin D, and also represents an important building block of the cell walls. "Of all the cholesterol that we deposit in the blood vessels, Two thirds are homemade. Only a third comes from the food, "explains Koletzko. But here not only eggs play a role, but in other foods such as Milk, butter, meat and sausage contain a lot of cholesterol.

Bad fats in liverwurst and chips
When dietary intake of cholesterol increases, the body automatically reduces its own production to keep blood cholesterol levels stable. On the other hand, saturated fatty acids, which are found, for example, in liverwurst, roast pork, chips and chips, have a negative effect on the blood fat level. Because of these increases the value of "bad" LDL cholesterol, which deposits at a too high concentration in the blood on the vessel walls and thereby increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The exaggerated concern about the supposedly unhealthy cholesterol bomb egg seems so unfounded. In the US, given the latest findings, the cholesterol warning for foods such as eggs and butter has already been lifted. The German Nutrition Society (DGE), on the other hand, continues to recommend a moderate intake of a maximum of three eggs per week. This includes processed egg in foods such as mayonnaise, pasta, soups, sauces and baked goods already included, explains Silke Restemeyer of the DGE in conversation with the "dpa". But even this assessment does not seem set in stone: "The subject of egg is here a bit on the test," the expert continues.

Scandal company recalls eggs due to salmonella
In addition to cholesterol, however, there are other aspects that unsettle many consumers. Just last summer, for example, the controversial company "Bayern egg" launched another recall because of Salmonella suspicion. The company was previously suspected of having been responsible for a pan-European salmonella outbreak in 2014, during which hundreds of people contracted salmonellosis and at least two people died. Also in 2014, chicken eggs with dioxin were discovered in Lower Saxony, which can lead to disturbances of the hormone balance or even cancer.

However, cases like these do not mean that eggs pose a health hazard per se. Because dioxins are e.g. When incinerated and deposited in soils, organic chickens may also absorb it. Also, organic chickens can theoretically infect more quickly with salmonella because they are kept less sterile than cages and are not given any precautionary medication.

However, according to the "dpa", researchers from the Technical University of Munich found that both the animals and the eggs from a biological stand are no more contaminated with germs than those from conventional farms. From Koletzko's point of view, even more than two eggs a day are not problematic, "and at Easter it may also be three." Many consumers seem to take this into account anyway: While in other months an average of about nine to ten eggs per capita are bought, climb the number in the Easter month to about eleven to twelve, informs Margit Beck of the industry information service Marktinfo eggs and poultry (MEG). "The supply situation of the European egg markets is so good that we can easily cover the extra consumption," said the market analyst to the news agency. (No)