Doctors call eggs a nutritional powerhouse packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals. They recommend it in different doses for diabetics.
Eggs are a rich source of vitamins, proteins, minerals, and good fats. But can diabetic food include egg? (Creative Commons)
One food that often sparks debate is the egg. While there have been multiple studies suggesting eggs are a safe and healthy option for everyone.
However, nutritionists and endocrinologists have told South First that diabetics always worry if eggs are safe for them to eat, and if yes, how many they can eat per day. They also seek to know if yolk is healthy for them.
Answering some of these questions, world-famous endocrinologist Dr V Mohan — also the chairman of the Madras Diabetes and Research Centre in Chennai — took to X (formerly Twitter) to emphasise the benefits of including eggs in a diabetes-friendly diet.
Doctors call eggs a nutritional powerhouse packed with high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Low-carb practitioner and metabolic health coach Ira Sahai — popularly known as LowCarbHealer on X — is also media head for Dlife.in. She concurred with Mohan about eggs being a healthy option for diabetics.
Explaining in detail eggs’ impact on blood sugar levels, she told South First, “Diabetes is basically the body’s inability to handle excess carbs.”
She added: “The root cause of diabetes is high carbs (all digestible carbs turn into sugar as well) and not meat or eggs, which are the best sources of class 1 protein.”
Ira also said that eggs were one of the most nutrient-dense foods available for human beings, and the most affordable as well.
She said she had many vegetarian clients with diabetes and other metabolic health syndromes.
She noted that when they added eggs to their vegetarian diet with good compliance, they were easily able to reverse their Type-1 diabetes.
Doctors say a single large egg contains about 6 grams of protein, which can help with satiety and weight management — important factors for people with diabetes.
Eggs have a low glycemic index, meaning they have minimal impact on blood sugar levels.
This makes them an excellent option for people with diabetes looking to manage their blood sugar more effectively.
The protein and fat in eggs can slow down glucose absorption, leading to more stable blood sugar levels.
Mohan suggested that eating eggs in moderation was completely allowed for diabetics.
He said: “I prefer diabetics eating the whites of three or four eggs as it is pure protein and doesn’t contain any fat or cholesterol.”
He noted: “One can have the white of three or four eggs as an omelette. For full-boiled egg, remove the yolk portion.”
He explained that the yolk was fat and cholesterol; one egg contains 300 mg of cholesterol.
Mohan said this was the dietary cholesterol intake allowed for diabetics. This, if someone was eating one egg, they could consume the whole egg.”
However, Ira said that when a diabetic follows a low-carb high-fat (LCHF) diet, one can consume as many eggs as one is hungry for.
“My clients are taking anywhere from four to 12 eggs per day. I ate 12-15 eggs per day when I started my LCHF diet,” she added.
Sahai also suggested the inclusion of the yolk when the person was on an LCHF diet.
She said, “Yolks are absolutely essential when consuming eggs. Whites are just protein. It’s the yolk that has all the nutrients packed in it. The yolk is the soul of the egg.”
She added that the cholesterol in the egg was a necessary profile that shouldn’t be skipped and was absolutely safe to take when people were following an LCHF diet.
She even called eggs a “superfood” for anyone — including children, adults, and the elderly, or even people struggling with diabetes and other metabolic issues.
Nutritionist Megha Harish from Bengaluru also supported the inclusion of eggs in a balanced diet for diabetics.
“Eggs provide a great source of protein without causing spikes in blood sugar. They can be a versatile ingredient in many meals, from breakfast to dinner,” she noted.
The way you prepare eggs can also impact their health benefits. Opt for cooking methods that do not add extra fat, such as boiling, poaching, or scrambling with a small amount of healthy oil. Pairing eggs with whole grains, vegetables, or lean proteins can create balanced meals that support blood sugar management.
(Edited by Arkadev Ghoshal)
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