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Eggs are usually considered to be healthy and a rich source of protein, which are commonly recommended to eat on a daily basis. But, when it comes to heart patients or people at an increased risk of heart disease, consumption of eggs has always been a controversial topic. While it s true that egg yolk contains high amounts of cholesterol (which is unhealthy), it also contains vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate and riboflavin, which are good for overall health.
Deepshikha Agarwal, a Mumbai-based dietitian and sports nutritionist, says, Since eggs are high in saturated fats and cholesterol, they are generally regarded as unhealthy for the heart. Although daily consumption of eggs is not a good idea, people with heart disease can consume eggs occasionally depending upon their blood cholesterol levels. The rule of thumb is that heart patients with a normal lipid profile (blood cholesterol levels under control) can consume an egg once in a week while those with a high lipid profile (higher cholesterol levels) should restrict their intake of eggs to once a month.
Generally, cardiac patients are advised to consume egg whites on a daily basis, i.e., not more than two egg whites per day. According to Deepshikha Agarwal, heart patients need to exercise extra care when it comes to consuming eggs, and hence choose innovative ways to include them in their diet. The healthier options one can try are eating eggs with sandwiches, salads, omelette with salt and pepper and boiled eggs. One should also keep in mind that fried eggs are a strict no-no for people with a heart disease as they contain too much fat that in turn may aggravate their risk of heart complications.
The only other non-vegetarian food that can be replaced with eggs is lean chicken (one piece in a week or twice a week) in the form of boiled chicken or as a sandwich. It is strictly advised to stay away from other non-vegetarian foods like hot dogs, sausages, beef, cold cuts, bacon, organ meat like liver and pork. Hence, while eggs are not bad for people with heart disease and should not be shunned completely, it is best they choose a healthy way to include it into their diet and keep heart disease at bay.
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