Dear South Africans, Your bodies do not really need eggs!

As plant-based lovers and promoters of health and wellness over here at Khanatural, we jumped for joy when we heard that your systems were finally getting a break from EATING EGGS !!!

Look, Eggs have long been a source of concern in diets due to their high levels of cholesterol and potential effects on cardiovascular health, and historically dietary guidelines have recommended restricting the number of eggs eaten daily. A 2019 study found a significant association between a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and each additional 300 milligrams of cholesterol consumed per day. Recent evidence has also emerged showing that eggs may contribute to higher all-cause and cancer mortality as well.

While nutritional science has not definitively determined the extent to which eating eggs can harm a person’s health, there is a convincing body of evidence that egg consumption increases the risks of dying from certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. Eating eggs regularly even appears to increase a person’s risk of dying from any cause of death.

Why are eggs bad for you?

Eggs contain harmful compounds when eaten in excess, like cholesterol and saturated fat. These ingredients have been linked to the development of chronic diseases and increased death risks.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy carbon compound that is made in the liver. It performs a variety of functions, including helping the body to make vitamins and hormones necessary for the body to function normally. People must have a certain amount of cholesterol, but their bodies can make enough to provide what’s needed.

Eating more cholesterol than necessary, which is easily done when eggs are part of your diet, may lead to serious health risks. In a 2019 Korean study, any increase in cholesterol levels for individuals with levels greater than 200 milligrams per decilitre in any age group was associated with a higher risk of death. Depending on age, the risk of dying increased by up to 14%.

Heart disease

According to the World Heart Federation, high cholesterol increases the risk of stroke and heart disease and causes more than 4.4 million deaths every year worldwide. A positive association between the consumption of egg yolks and plaque formation in arteries was found in one study a decade ago.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a serious chronic disease that causes life-altering illness and high death rates. Diabetes is responsible for around 4.2 million deaths annually in people 20 to 79 years old, or just over 11% of all deaths worldwide.

Although studies investigating the relationship between type 2 diabetes and egg consumption have shown controversial results, there are many studies linking egg consumption with the risk of developing the disease. In one meta-analysis, diabetes risk increased by up to 39% for people in the US consuming three or more eggs per week, though not for those in non-US studies. A study published in 2021 found that Chinese adults who ate eggs regularly were more likely to develop diabetes, and other studies have found that the more eggs consumed, the higher the risk.

Cancer

Several studies suggest a positive association between egg consumption, cancer mortality, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. Some evidence suggests that egg consumption may increase the risk of those cancers, and worsen prostate cancer progression to make death more likely. For women, eating five or more eggs per week was significantly associated with higher breast cancer risk.

Food poisoning

Salmonellosis, also called Salmonella, is a bacterial infection that causes diarrhoea, cramping, vomiting, fever, headaches, and nausea, and it is one of the pathogens that cause food poisoning. Eggs and eggshells are frequently contaminated with Salmonella bacteria through contact with infected chicken faeces, making it an important worldwide public health concern. To make matters worse, hens are held in such stressful, unnatural, and unhealthy conditions on factory farms that they may be immunocompromised and more likely to suffer from bacterial infections.

Salmonella infections from food sources cause over 80 million cases of illness each year globally, and in the United States, over 53% of foodborne Salmonella infections have been traced back to eggs. In Europe, a multi-country outbreak in 2022 due to contaminated eggs resulted in nearly 300 illnesses and two deaths.

Egg production is related to water and soil contamination.

Much is said about the environmental impact of red meat, but egg production is also an important factor in water and soil contamination. Scientists at the University of Oviedo, Spain, have analysed the effects of intensive egg production and concluded that it has a significant impact on water and soil, especially related to waste management and the production of chicken feed.

Conclusion

Whatever form of egg is produced, it has a direct impact on the lives of millions of animals, the environment, and the health and safety of people. We do not need this product, or any animal product, to have a healthy and diverse diet. Consider veganism.