In Rwanda, eggs form part of most people’s diet especially breakfast. Although eggs can be prepared in a number of ways, most people seem to prefer them fried (omelet). Regardless of how one prefers them, what is for sure is that they have plenty of nutritional benefits.

According to Dr Rachna Pande, who works at Ruhengeri Hospital, eggs are rich sources of vital nutrients that the body requires.

Pande says that a boiled egg provides 6 per cent of Vitamin A, 5 per cent Folate, 7 per cent Vitamin B5, 9 per cent Vitamin B12, 15 per cent Vitamin B2, 9 per cent phosphorus and 22 per cent Selenium of the recommended daily allowance, RDA.

"On top of this, eggs also contain decent amounts of Vitamins D, E, K, B6, Calcium, Zinc and other micronutrients.”

Regulate consumption

Much as a number of people love eggs for their taste and nutrients, nutritionists warn against excessive consumption. Some studies show that the level of cholesterol in eggs is more than 200mg/dl of cholesterol which can be dangerous.

However, Joseph Mbabazi, a nutritionist, maintains that the body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods.

"Although there is both the bad and good cholesterol, the supply is nothing to worry about since your body makes all the cholesterol it needs,” Mbabazi says.

Pande also allays any such fears of eggs.

"It is not that eating one or two eggs will raise the blood cholesterol levels immediately,” Pande explains. "Cholesterol is produced by the liver daily and the blood cholesterol levels depend on other food substances as well.”

She adds that the way the egg is cooked also matters. For example a fried egg increases the level of cholesterol as compared to a boiled one.

She says the number of eggs to consume depends on one’s body weight, level of physical exercise and the presence of diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases. Health experts therefore advise that egg consumption should be limited unless the intake of other foods high in cholesterol is restricted.

However, several studies also suggest that eggs are an inexpensive and a low calorie source of many other nutrients, including minerals, proteins, and unsaturated fatty acids, which could lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Research findings

Findings from research published in the British Medical journal on eggs concluded that in populations following a carbohydrate restricted diet, dietary cholesterol from eggs could increase plasma concentrations of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which has been suggested to protect against vascular disease.

Several prospective cohort studies have examined the association between egg consumption and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke and suggest that the relation between egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease remains controversial.

However, research on Egg Consumption and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke concludes that higher consumption of eggs (up to one egg per day) is not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease or stroke.

Now the latest research published two months ago in the American Journal of Nutrition that involved 2,332 men aged between 42–60 concluded that higher egg intake was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in this cohort of middle-aged and older men.

Although a lot has been said, health experts agree that the nutrients found in eggs are of high biological value with a few substitutions hence should only be taken with caution.