Bad Rap: Cholesterol-raising yolks lead to heart disease
Good News: That gooey yellow center provides the bulk of an egg's nutrients, including half of its total protein, vitamins A and D, and minerals such as zinc and iron. Yolks do contain cholesterol, but it won't necessarily raise your heart-disease risk. In fact, the vast majority of Americans can eat dietary cholesterol without it elevating blood cholesterol levels, says Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., author of Nancy Clark's Food Guide for New Runners. "If you have high blood cholesterol and a family history of heart disease, the safest bet is to limit yourself to three yolks per week," she says. Otherwise, a study in the 2007 Medical Science Monitor concludes that healthy adults can eat up to two whole eggs a day without increasing their heart-disease risk.
Keep it Healthy: "It's not the egg but the bacon, the butter on the toast, and the greasy hash browns you eat with it that link eggs to heart disease," says Clark. Serve scrambled eggs on a whole-wheat English muffin topped with salsa for a more nutritious morning meal.