New Dietary Guidelines Remove Daily Limit on Cholesterol and Include Eggs in Recommended Eating Patterns

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Jan 07, 2016, 07:23 ET

PARK RIDGE, Ill., Jan. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) remove a daily limit on dietary cholesterol and include eggs in all three recommended healthy eating patterns, which have been shown to reduce the risk of major chronic health conditions facing Americans.

"The U.S. has joined many other countries and expert groups like the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology that do not have an upper limit for cholesterol intake in their dietary guidelines," says Mitch Kanter, PhD, Executive Director of the Egg Nutrition Center.

While many Americans avoided eggs for years due to their cholesterol content, that thinking has evolved. In a recent survey conducted by the Egg Nutrition Center (ENC), three-quarters of respondents (74 percent) do not let the dietary cholesterol in eggs impact their decision on how many eggs they eat. And more than three in five consumers (61 percent) also noted that the amount of cholesterol in the foods they are buying is of low concern to them.¹

Plant-Based Dietary Patterns Include Eggs

Consistent evidence indicates that, in general, these dietary patterns are primarily plant-based and more health-promoting than the current average U.S. diet. However, it's important to note "plant-based" doesn't mean only fruits and vegetables; it also includes high-quality protein foods like eggs – a fact that is not well-known among Americans. The ENC survey found that when asked, nearly two-thirds of consumers (63 percent) did not believe that a plant-based diet offered enough protein, and more than four in five consumers (82 percent) did not believe eggs were part of a plant-based diet.¹

In reality, and as supported in the 2015 DGA, eggs fit within all three recommended healthy dietary patterns – the Healthy U.S.-style, the Healthy Mediterranean-style and the Healthy Vegetarian-style. Eggs are all-natural and packed with a number of nutrients. One egg has varying amounts of 13 essential vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein, and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, all for 70 calories. Eggs are also one of the few natural foods that are a good source of vitamin D, which was identified by the 2015 DGA as a nutrient of concern for under-consumption and necessary for helping to build strong bones.

The removal of a daily dietary cholesterol limit and inclusion of eggs within all recommended healthy eating patterns supports regular consumption of eggs along with other nutrient-rich whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. As an affordable, nutrient-rich source of high-quality protein, eggs can help Americans build healthful diets.

For more egg nutrition research and information or egg tips and recipes visit EggNutritionCenter.org and IncredibleEgg.org. You can also find the Incredible Egg on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram.

About the Egg Nutrition Center (ENC)

ENC is dedicated to providing accurate information on eggs, nutrition, and health, and sponsors scientific research on this topic. Research grants are openly solicited and reviewed by a Scientific Advisory Panel of authorities in health research and clinical practice. Independent scientists guide many of the research projects and provide analysis and interpretation of scientific literature. The ENC is funded by the American Egg Board, which uses funds from egg farmers for promotion and research. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides oversight of its activities. ENC is located in Park Ridge, Ill. Visit www.EggNutritionCenter.org for more information.

About the American Egg Board (AEB)

AEB connects America's egg farmers with consumers, communicates the value of the incredible edible egg™ and receives funding from a national legislative checkoff on all egg production from companies with more than 75,000 hens in the continental United States. The board consists of 18 members and 18 alternates from all regions of the country who are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The AEB staff carries out the programs under the board's direction. AEB is located in Park Ridge, Ill. Visit www.IncredibleEgg.org for more information.

¹ Google Survey conducted online for the Egg Nutrition Center. Survey. Surveyed 1,500 general population respondents in November 2015. Overall sampling error is +/-3% at the 95% rate of confidence.

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SOURCE American Egg Board