USDA: Eggs have Less Cholesterol, More Vitamin D than We Thought

Seems the USDA has “egg on their face.” Maybe it should be in their bellies instead?

First, eggs were bad.

Now, they’re good.

Then coffee was evil.

Now, it’s not.

Next was chocolate.

Too bad… seems now, it’s A-OK!

And for goodness sake! Do NOT under ANY circumstances drink wine, liquor or beer!

But now, it’s okay to have a few drinks.

And heaven help us all… the beef! Where’s the beef!?! You’re surely gonna’ DIE!

Well… maybe not as quickly as we once thought. Beef’s okay.

My friends, beware “Schizophrenic Science”! Particularly dietary-related science!

Remember the “Twinkie Diet“!

Eggs tested by USDA have lower cholesterol and more vitamin D than previously thought

By Mary Forgione, Tribune Health
February 8, 2011, 10:16 a.m.

Eggs are getting a bit of a reprieve on the cholesterol front. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report released Tuesday says eggs are lower in cholesterol and higher in vitamin D than previously thought.

The federal agency released these findings (helpfully publicized by the egg industry) after testing a random sample of eggs across the country in 2002 and examining their nutrient value. It found the average large egg contained 185 milligrams of cholesterol (14% less than prior measures) and 41 IU (International Units) of vitamin D (64% more).

Why the shift? The decrease in cholesterol might reflect an improvement in hens’ diet, the agency says in a statement. Here’s the full USDA statement.

And the American Heart Assn. offers this primer on cholesterol. Note that dietary cholesterol is but one factor in blood cholesterol levels — and that those levels are more complex than you might think (think “fats”). The AHA says: “Saturated fatty acids are the main culprit in raising blood cholesterol, which increases your risk of heart disease. Trans fats also raise blood cholesterol. But dietary cholesterol also plays a part. The average American man consumes about 337 milligrams of cholesterol a day; the average woman, 217 milligrams.”

You can expect to see the revised nutrition information on egg cartons soon. But one thing hasn’t changed: Eggs are still about 70 calories each.

USDA says eggs now have less cholesterol, more vitamin D – latimes.com.