Are eggs all they’re cracked up to be?

(Chelsea Update would like to thank Lisa Mesko, DC, of Proactive Chiropractic for the information in this column.)

You’ve seen the movie “Rocky” right?

That scene where he opens the fridge, cracks a half dozen eggs into a clear plastic cup, and downs them in a slime dripping gulp? Your first thought … gross.

And second thought … that can’t be good for you, can it?

This question is really a two-parter. For one, can you eat raw eggs? And two, how many eggs a day is too many?

In most cases, eggs are not pasteurized (heated enough to kill salmonella but not enough to cook the egg). This means you’re playing the gut lottery if you choose to eat one raw.

So leave that to Rocky – who apparently has a stomach as strong as his fists.

The other explanation is a little more complicated. The short answer is that having about one egg per day is fine.

Here’s the scoop:  A carton of eggs is like a nice bottle of red wine. One glass a day has been shown to have great health benefits, which outweigh its negative health affects. However, if you drink six glasses of wine a day, you’re not a health nut – you’re drinking too much.

Eggs are a compact little oval filled with protein, B vitamins, folic acid, iron, and … cholesterol. Dun-dun-duuuuun. Yes, it’s the cholesterol most people fear.  However, the newest research shows that because eggs contain so many other great nutrients, the cholesterol is not much of a problem. It’s like putting an M and M inside a kale salad.

Important note: If you already have diabetes or heart disease, you should try to keep your egg intake to 3 or less per week – there’s no sense in fanning the flame.

Further, consider the foods you pair with your eggs. If you’re scarfing three eggs next to a half-pound of bacon and a butter-lathered pancake, you’re really not doing yourself any favors.

Try poaching your egg with a side of turkey sausage and whole grain toast. If you want to get really crazy, you could add that glass of merlot, but I’d suggest setting that aside until dinner.