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BEYOND VEGAN: Egg No!

Eggs are known as a standard breakfast food world wide. They’re used in baked goods, soups and as an ingredient in hundreds of recipes from cakes to sushi. But should eggs be so common in our diets? Are we doing more harm than good when consuming them? We’re told they provide protein and make us strong. Bodybuilders even eat them raw with the expectation of increased muscle growth. Let’s take a closer look at what the medical and scientific community have to say about the consumption of eggs.

The Detriment

Egg yolks are loaded with cholesterol – a known risk factor for coronary artery disease and heart attacks. A medium-sized egg contains 186 mg of cholesterol, which is 62 percent of the recommended intake. And it makes sense; a whole egg contains all the nutrients needed to turn a single cell into an entire baby chicken. Experts suggest that consuming even one egg a day may exceed the safe upper limit for cholesterol intake – which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Atherosclerosis Research found that eating one egg per day is just as bad for your heart as smoking five cigarettes a day.

Cholesterol consumption was found to be a strong predictor of liver cancer. Compared with men who rarely eat eggs, men eating even less than one egg a day appear to have twice the risk of prostate cancer progression, according to plant-based physician Dr. Greger. In addition, choline, a compound found in eggs, is converted into a toxin called trimethylamine by bacteria existing in meat-eaters’ guts. The toxin was found to increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and premature death.

Try Something Different

Garbanzo Flour makes a fantastic omelette and can be used to replace eggs in baked goods as well as a list of other recipes and applications. Examples of it’s uses can be found in Beyond Vegan “Chickpeas | Garbanzo Beans”.

Whole cooked chickpeas can also be food processed or pureed to make a thick egg-like consistency for pancakes, crepes, wraps, soft tacos or flat-breads. After boiling whole chickpeas the remaining water is known as AquaFaba and is commonly used as an egg replacement due to it’s clear thick consistency. Though the application of these replacements may vary they can all come in handy depending how you use the.

Experiment with them in your cooking and today and # TrySomethingDifferent