That eggs are nutritious is common knowledge. A protein powerhouse, eggs are also replete in other nutrients such as phosphorus, vitamin D, zinc, etc. But that doesn’t stop it from being one of controversy’s favourite children. Eggs have been simultaneously praised and decried for its benefits and risks, leaving us ambivalent about them. And now, a plant-based activist has whipped up a new controversy over the health risks of eggs. In her now-viral tweet, the activist who goes by the name plantbasedbarb equates the health risks of one egg with five cigarettes. Egg lovers are up in arms against the Twitter user and a vegan vs rest of the world war has been waging. National Egg Day 2019: From Keto Egg Benedict to Scrambled Eggs, Healthy Ketogenic Breakfast Recipes to Help You Lose Weight.

Here’s the Tweet:

The Reactions:

Egg is known for its nutritive value, no doubt. But it’s not as black or white (or yellow or white?) as it seems to be. While vegans and plant-based dieters have philosophical reasons to hate egg, health experts have also been quite iffy about its benefits. It all started in 2012, when a Canadian research found that egg yolks could affect your heart the way smoking does.

The study was published in the Journal of Atherosclerosis Research. It showed that regular egg consumption could lead to coronary artery disease and heart attacks. That’s because eggs are loaded with cholesterol.

The study used ultrasound to assess the fat build-up in the arteries of the neck of 1,200 subjects who had risk factors for heart disease. The study found that even as few as an egg a day could be as bad as smoking five cigarettes. World Egg Day 2018: 7 Benefits of Eating Eggs You Should Know About.

But egg lovers need not frown. According to the National Health Services, there were severe limitations to the study. They couldn’t assess how accurate the participants’ recollection of egg yolk consumption, method of cooking, additional risk factors, etc.

The study also used an unreliable questionnaire method, which may cause a high level of inadequacy. Since the study was not a trial, there was no fixed number of eggs the subjects were consuming.

So in conclusion, there’s no way to say whether eggs are worse than cigarettes. If had in moderation, eggs can safely be a part of a healthy and nutritious diet. That’s the golden rule.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 27, 2019 02:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).