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Egged On It’s Much Maligned, But The Egg Isn’t All Bad For You

Linda Shrieves Orlando Sentinel

It’s time to reconsider the incredible, but much maligned, egg.

Once embraced by Americans - who still get misty-eyed about egg-salad sandwiches, three-egg omelets, even the egg-eating scene from “Cool Hand Luke” - the egg has been demonized in recent years, blamed for the nation’s mounting cholesterol problems.

Now the pendulum may be swinging back in the egg’s favor. New research shows that many healthy Americans can eat eggs without fear of sending their cholesterol skyrocketing.

“We’ve had this good food-bad food mentality in this country thrust upon us, but I think eggs in particular have gotten a bad rap,” said Dr. Wayne Callaway, a nutrition expert at George Washington University. “They’re highly nutritious and, for most people, pose no health risk at all.”

Recent studies have shown that young men and women with normal cholesterol levels - and no risk factors for heart disease - can eat eggs and experience only slight increases in their cholesterol levels.

In one study, healthy young women ate three eggs a day for eight weeks and experienced only a modest rise in cholesterol - an average two-point increase. A previous study of 21 healthy young men who ate four eggs a day yielded similar results.

Doctors aren’t encouraging Americans to start eating three or four eggs a day, but they believe that many people can loosen up on the egg restrictions.

“If you’re young and healthy - or even middle-aged and have a very healthy cholesterol level - adding an egg a day to your diet is not going to have a major impact on your risk for heart disease,” said Dr. Henry Ginsberg, a lipids researcher at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Ginsberg and other cholesterol researchers now believe that young women, adolescents and children - all groups at low risk for heart disease - can disregard the four-egg-a-week limit once prescribed for everyone. Even healthy men with low cholesterol levels and no risk factors for heart disease should be able to consume a few extra eggs a week without fretting, Ginsberg said.

Contrary to popular opinion, an egg is pretty good for you. For a mere 75 calories, it’s a compact package of protein, low in fat and calories and rich in iron and other nutrients. What’s more, eggs are inexpensive and easy to prepare.

The elderly often avoid meat as a protein source because of its cost or because they have difficulty chewing. Eggs are a good alternative.

“That’s the problem with these one-size-fits-all recommendations,” Callaway said. “There are people who could benefit from eating more than four eggs a week - the elderly, people with low incomes and people who are not active who need nutrient dense foods.”

Of course, not everyone can start eating eggs with abandon. People who have high cholesterol levels, diabetes, hypertension or a family history of heart disease should still conform to the four-eggs-a-week mandate, as should smokers and people who lead sedentary lifestyles.

The biggest problem isn’t the eggs themselves, but the foods they hang around with: bacon, sausage, hash browns and other high-fat foods.

“That picture - of a plate of eggs with bacon or sausage and hash browns on the side - is embedded in American culture,” Ginsberg said. “And I cringe when I see it.”

While eggs are high in cholesterol, those companion foods are high in saturated fat - which appears to be the real culprit in heart disease.

Consider a man who eats 500 milligrams of cholesterol a day and is told to cut back to 200 milligrams, Ginsberg said. His blood cholesterol level drops from 220 to 214, and his risk of developing heart disease goes down by 6 percent.

On the other hand, if you take a person who gets 15 percent of his calories from saturated fat (about 30 grams of fat for someone on a 2,000-calorie regimen) and reduce that to 5 percent, his cholesterol levels would drop 20 to 30 points. And his risk of heart disease drops by about 40 percent.

“You get more bang for your buck if you cut back on saturated fat,” Ginsberg said.

People who want to start eating more eggs still should be mindful of their egg intake. Ginsberg suggests making an omelet or scrambled eggs with two eggs but taking out one of the yolks. “The white of the egg is great,” he said. “It’s one of the cheapest sources of protein available, and it’s not fatty.”

Eggs also have taken a bad rap in recent years because of the risk of salmonella contamination. No more runny egg yolks, we’re told. No more raw cookie dough. No more Hollandaise sauce.

Well, there’s good news on that front, too. Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a way to pasteurize eggs that will kill the salmonella bacteria while the egg is still in the shell.

That means eggs can be treated before they head to your local supermarket. And chances are good that these salmonella-free eggs will be in supermarkets in the next year or two, says Peter Muriana, the lead researcher on the project.

The cost of the process could add 20 to 30 cents to the price of a dozen eggs. Muriana guesses that supermarkets will carry both the cheaper, nontreated eggs and the more expensive pasteurized eggs.

Egg producers are keenly interested in the process, as are some large restaurant chains. “A lot of these fast-food franchises have an older clientele for these egg breakfasts, and that’s a high-risk group for salmonella poisoning,” Muriana said.

Encouraged about eggs? Here are a few recipes from a new cookbook, “365 Ways to Cook Eggs,” by Elaine Corn (HarperCollins).

Dinner Frittata with Spaghetti and Swiss Chard

1 pound Swiss chard leaves, washed, stems removed

6 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 scallions, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 cups cooked spaghetti or other pasta

Toss chard (still wet from washing) in a very hot Dutch oven or wok over high heat. When three-fourths wilted (this may take less than 1 minute), pour into a colander and press out excess water.

Crack eggs into a medium boil. Add milk, salt, pepper, cheese and parsley; do not whisk yet.

In a large nonstick skillet, cook scallions in olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Increase heat to high; add chard and cook, stirring quickly, 30 seconds. Add garlic and spaghetti and cook, tossing, 1 minute. Remove pan from burner.

Quickly whisk eggs until just blended and pour over noodle-chard mixture. Return skillet to burner, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 12-15 minutes, until bottom is lightly browned.

Remove cover. Invert frittata onto a plate and slide back into skillet. Cook until second side is browned, about 5 minutes longer. Ease onto a serving plate; let cool 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve hot, at room temperature or cold.

Yield: 4 servings.

Huevos Rancheros (Ranch Eggs)

1/2 large white onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon seeded, minced fresh jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (15-ounce) can refried beans

4 fried eggs, sunnyside up or over easy

4 corn tortillas

Salt and pepper

1 cup shredded jack or Cheddar cheese

Avocado slices and green chili salsa, for garnish

In medium saucepan, cook onion, garlic and jalapeno in oil over medium-high heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, about 8 minutes.

Place refried beans in microwave-safe bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon water; cover with plastic wrap and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir, recover and microwave on HIGH for 1-1 minutes longer to heat through. Stir well. Meanwhile, prepare fried eggs.

Spoon some beans onto one side of each of four plates. Drag tortillas through sauce and place alongside beans. Top each tortilla with a fried egg; season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese and spoon sauce over, so cheese melts. Garnish with avocado and/or green salsa and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.

Cinnamon Toast Strata

1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened

3 tablespoons cinnamon

8 slices bread (such as whole-wheat, sourdough or raisin)

1/4 cup sugar

6 eggs

1-1/2 cups milk

3 tablespoons maple or sorghum syrup

In small bowl, mash butter with cinnamon; spread on bread. Arrange 4 slices of bread in bottom of a 2-quart baking dish, buttered side up, trimming to fit. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Top with remaining bread, buttered side down. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk and syrup, blending well. Pour slowly over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake strata uncovered for 45 minutes or until puffed, golden and set. Serve with additional syrup on the side.

Yield: 6 servings.