Are Eggs Good for a Diabetic? Eggs are nutritious and are so good for you. But are eggs good for diabetics? Well, according the the American Diabetes Association they are a perfect choice if you have diabetes. One of the reasons is that one large egg only contains one half of a gram of carbohydrates. So the belief is that this will not raise your blood sugar levels.
Benefits of Eggs
Eggs always got a bad rap because of cholesterol. That’s not the case anymore. Eggs are healthy and good for you even with diabetes as long as you don’t overdo it and eat like six eggs a day!
Still, it’s important to watch your cholesterol intake if you have diabetes for the simple fact that diabetes is a risk for cardiovascular disease.
But the fact of the matter is that cholesterol levels from the food you eat are less than the cholesterol that comes from your family history. The higher risk for increasing these levels actually is from foods with saturated and trans fats. That is what you really should be monitoring first.
There are many dieticians today who feel that the amount of eggs one eats as a diabetic should no longer be restricted as they once were. One of the main reasons for this is that eggs provide an enormous amount of benefits. Eggs are a high value protein that is biological and they offer all of the essential amino acids that your body requires. They are truly a superfood!
Your diabetes risk with eggs
So with eggs and diabetes risk it’s all in the numbers. I’ve always been good at math and I always go with the numbers and percentages. Most of the times the numbers make sense and studies and research are done to prove that. So keep that in mind.
So in studies done where men who were middle aged and men who were older and ate four eggs a week, showed a 35% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than the same age group that only consumed one egg per week.
Most researchers might agree that eating eggs in moderation wouldn’t make a difference either way but since eggs have such a high nutritional value, they should be in your diet without overdoing it. Two to three eggs a week should be sufficient. You get the nutrition without it raising your risk of diabetes. I usually have an egg every other day or so. I don’t like to overdo it.
I never used to like or eat eggs when I was growing up. I actually hated them! But now I eat them, but only scrambled eggs and I don’t overdo it. There are many foods I eat now that I never did before. Once I learned how good and healthy they are, I tried them and I’ve also expanded my fruits and vegetables in my diet. Eggs are now on the list as well.
Health benefits of eggs
* HDL- Eggs are perfect for raising your HDL or good cholesterol. The higher your HDL levels, the lower your risk of heart disease. There was a study done where consuming two eggs daily for six weeks increased HDL levels by 10%. However, I don’t suggest that you do this. Eating eggs can increase your HDL but you don’t want to do it at that rate. Just stick to two to three or four eggs a week max. Don’t eat too many.
* LDL- LDL is your bad cholesterol and you want your numbers here to be on the lower side so your risk of heart disease is less. There are subtypes of LDL and this deals with the actual size of the particles. The particles are dense and small and also larger ones as well. It’s the smaller particles that give you a higher risk of heart disease than the large ones.
If eggs may raise LDL levels somewhat in some people, the particles change from small ones to large ones which is a positive thing. Studies show that this change to the larger particles is linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Keeping your LDL levels down is important for your heart health.
* Triglycerides- Certain eggs help lower your triglyceride levels more than others. The nutrients in eggs depend on how each particular hen is raised and fed. Eggs are higher in Omega 3 fatty acids that come from hens that are raised in a pasture. So eating eggs can lower your triglycerides by approximately 17% over a three week period. This is having five eggs per week. Triglycerides are the enemy when it comes to heart disease so get them down by having eggs.
* Protein- How important is protein for your body? Extremely important! Protein is responsible for producing many different kinds of molecules and tissues that have purposes for functionality and structure of the body. Low protein levels can be very detrimental for your body. Eggs are an AWESOME source of protein with one large single egg containing six grams! They contain all the amino acids that are essential for your body and your body will use the protein to help you function.
* Feeling full- Eggs will help you feel full and this will help with losing weight because you will eat less and consume less calories. It’s better to have a high protein food like eggs than a high carbohydrate food such as a bagel. You’ll get more nutrition and less calories that way. I know some folks who eat a lot of eggs, maybe three or more a day. I personally think that’s too much and stick to my one or so every other day. Eggs are a perfect food that nature provides, but too much of anything is never good, or at least they say anyway.
* Choline- Have you ever heard of choline? Until I started eating eggs and studying up on them, neither had I. But choline is a nutrient that most folks do not get sufficient amounts of and it’s most likely due to the fact that they’ve never heard of before. It’s linked with vitamins and is responsible for building cell membranes and helping to produce molecules that signal in your brain.
There have been surveys conducted that showed that as much as 90% of people are not getting enough choline. Whole eggs are the best food source of choline. They contain 100mg of this nutrient. Now you don’t have to be in that 90% group that is not getting enough!
* Your vision- As we get older our eyesight diminishes. Eggs contain some nutrients that battle some of the degenerative processes that can affect our eyes and vision later in life. These antioxidants are known as Zeaxanthin and Lutein. These are powerful and they build up in the retina of your eyes. If you’ve got sufficient amounts of these antioxidants, they lower your risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. That’s important because eyesight is the most important thing!
It’s important to note here that the yolks of the eggs contain large amounts of the antioxidants. Another interesting and exceptionally important fact is that a lack of vitamin A is the biggest cause of blindness today on the planet. Eggs are very high in vitamin A! Eggs for the eyes everybody!
* Heart disease and stroke- Eggs can lower your risk of stroke and do not raise your risk of heart disease. Eggs do not raise your cholesterol like it was previously reported. There was controversy on this and the researchers now say no, it doesn’t raise your risk of heart disease. But I will revert back to what I stated earlier. Two to four eggs a week is what you want. That’s what you should have. That’s about what I have. Not too little, but not too many.
* Bone strength- Your bones need to be strong and with age they tend to weaken. Osteoporosis is common in older age because it makes your bones weaker. To help prevent osteoporosis, eggs to the rescue. Eggs can help you with your bones and helping to prevent osteoporosis. Your bones are important but especially when you get older.
* Anemia- This is a disease that can make you feel tired, experience headaches, and look pale. This happens when you have issues with your hemoglobin which links oxygen to your red blood cells. People suffering from anemia are advised to eat boiled eggs to get the iron that they are deficient in. Iron will help your hemoglobin to do a better job and make you feel better.
* Circulation of your blood- Your circulatory system must be in top working order. Boiled eggs are an excellent way to keep your system flowing and in tip top shape. The ingredients in eggs help your circulatory system. Another benefit for your body by consuming eggs!
* Nails and hair- Your nails and your hair indicate many shortages and imbalances in your body. Eggs help to stimulate healthy nails and hair. The reason for this is the amino acids that contain sulfur in the eggs. They also provide many minerals and vitamins. Shiny hair and great looking nails!
Allergies to eggs
While allergies are rare, they still occur. The allergy to eggs begins when your body becomes altered and can overreact to the proteins in the egg yolks or egg whites. When you are eating the eggs, your body recognizes the protein as a foreign invader and it send out its own chemicals to act upon defending it. This is when cause of the allergic reaction take place.
You also want to read food labels because there are products that do have eggs in them. A few of these may include:
- Ice cream
- Pasta
- Caesar dressing
- Pudding
- Wine
- Custard
* Symptoms of allergies
- Skin reactions- You can get a rash or hive.
- Difficulty breathing or wheezing
- Nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting
- Sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes
The best way to avoid allergies against eggs is to obviously not eat them. You can get a skin prick test too from your allergist to determine if you are allergic to eggs. While eggs rarely harm you, they do more good than harm. If you are not allergic and eat eggs in moderation, you’re going to benefit big time.
When in doubt, find out. Know what foods may possibly have eggs in them before you come in contact with the suspected dish. If you do have allergies you won’t be eating eggs anyway but you’re in the very small minority. But if you’re like the rest of us and you love eggs, go for it!
And finally
Are Eggs Good for a Diabetic? Now you know that they are and remember when you go to the store to buy eggs, open the carton and check for cracked eggs as we all do. Check the expiration date. The only other thing left to do? Is pass on this article to others who want to know about eggs and their connection with diabetes. If you want to eat healthy and avoid diabetes altogether, this will help you.
If you want to leave and questions or have any feed back, please leave them below. I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and stay healthy!
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Hi Rob
.What a well-done article, it’s very informative and pleasing to read. That’s true that eggs are very healthy. They are extremely good for the eyes due to the lutein and zeaxanthin it contains. I just boil them and keep a bowl in the fridge for them and eat cold.
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Angie,
Thank you! I love discussing anything that is healthy and helps people out. As I mentioned, I never ate eggs when I was younger but now it’s different since I discovered how good they are for you.
And my eyes are so important so I hope to keep them that way with eating healthy.
I’m glad that you boil them and eat them the way you do. I can only eat them scrambled! We still get the same benefits, right?
Thanks for commenting!
~Rob
Hi Rob,
Great article!
I do suffer from cholesterol, and my doctor always recommended me not to eat more than two eggs per week. Not long time ago, a good friend of mine, which also suffer from high level of bad cholesterol told me that eggs lower the bad cholesterol. To be honest, I didn’t believe him:) But now that I’ve read your article, I am convinced that eggs are good for the health. From now on, I’ll buy only eggs that contain omega 3, and I’ll boil them. Just a question, please. Do I need to cook the eggs at a specific temperature and time or it doesn’t matter?
Thank you for this useful post!
Hi Daniella,
It’s always important to keep tabs on our cholesterol levels but eggs do not raise cholesterol like they were once said to do.
Eggs are very healthy for you and as long as you eat them in moderation, you’ll be fine and help to benefit your body.
As far as cooking them? You can just bring them to a boil as you’ve been doing: Put up a pot of water to boil — you will need a pot big enough for water to flow around the amount of eggs that you’ll be cooking. Once the water has boiled, take a large spoon and gently lower the eggs into the water. Then lower the heat to maintain a simmer and set your timer for twelve minutes.
I hope this helps! Thanks Daniella!
Hello I was reading your website and I really like eggs and I thought there was a lot of detail that you put into your content about eggs and the diabetic person. You did clarify a lot of things as eggs have been blackballed many times over the years and I feel healthy and safe after reading what you have researched as well as I feel safe having eggs in my fridge. I like the layout of your website everything is organized and titled for each paragraph. I have a suggestion that you may want to use. Have you thought of writing about egg whites? Egg Whites is on The Dash Diet Action Plan that is about Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol without Medication
Hi Jill,
Eggs are very good for you and they have gotten a bad rap over the years.
But it was flagged as having too much cholesterol which really isn’t the case as long as you don’t consume too many.
There are so many foods that are healthy and good for us and as you know the facts about them, then it’s a positive thing when it comes to eating them.
I can add a few facts about egg whites as well. Thank you!
Cheers!
~Rob