After 5,000 years of keeping chickens and eating eggs, the egg seemed headed for the endangered list in the 1970s and 1980s. Medical research had linked high levels of cholesterol in the blood to increased risk of heart disease. And since egg yolks are relatively high in cholesterol, it was widely held that individuals who consumed eggs regularly would suffer increases in their blood cholesterol levels.

That assumption has since been proven incorrect: there is no direct link between the amount of cholesterol in a particular food and the level of cholesterol in the blood.

Many studies have found that the vast majority of people who are not genetically predisposed to coronary disease can eat eggs every day with no increased risk to their health. Research has also shown that blood cholesterol levels are more affected by the amount of fats in the diet – especially saturated fats.

And from that perspective, eggs look a whole lot better. One large egg has less than 2 grams of saturated fat, while a cup of whole milk has 5 grams and a tablespoon of butter a cautionary 7 grams.