Hey there everyone…there seems to be so much confusion regarding the consumption of eggs and cholesterol in the body. My husband, Scott and I just LOVE to eat eggs. I have at least one or two whole eggs a day. Scott has much more than that! So are we jeopardizing our health over our love of eggs!?

I’ve done some research on my own and this is what I’ve found:

What is Cholesterol Anyway??

Cholesterol is a complex fatty substance found in every living cell. We cannot live without it. It provides the building blocks from which the body makes its own supply of sex and adrenal hormones. Cholesterol can also be converted to vitamin D in our body and used for the calcification of bones and teeth.

Our body is capable of making its own supply of cholesterol. In fact, most of the cholesterol found in our body is made there; only part of it comes from the food we eat. The liver and intestines are the primary sites where it is manufactured. Overproduction of cholesterol may be the most important factor contributing to arteriosclerosis, a form of hardening of the arteries.

Numerous dietary studies have been undertaken to determine the effect of cholesterol intake on the level in the body:

Basically, the studies reveal that dietary intake of eggs did not increase serum cholesterol levels in any of the research participants, except for those that were already obese and bedridden.

A cardiologist in New York concludes that: “95 percent of all heart trouble is associated with high serum triglycerides and attributes this to the staggering increase in sugar consumption–up from 7 pounds per person in 1840 to over 100 pounds today.” He has also been able to “lower the serum cholesterol markedly in 63 percent of his patients with a diet high in meat, milk, and eggs.”

Other research performed at Kansas State University concluded that “Even though a good amount of cholesterol is consumed when an egg is eaten, much of the cholesterol becomes ‘unavailable for absorption’ in the presence of the phospholipid (lecithin), Koo said.”

“This may be a reason why so many studies found no association between egg intake and blood cholesterol,” he said. The phospholipid, or lecithin, found in egg markedly inhibits the cholesterol absorption. The inhibition is not 100 percent, he said. Some cholesterol is absorbed but the amount is significantly reduced in the presence of this phospholipid.

Koo says people with normal cholesterol levels and no family history of cardiovascular disease should not worry about eating one to two eggs a day. There’s more overall nutritional benefit than harm to be gained from eating “nutrient-dense” eggs — in moderation, he said.

So there you have it! If you have no history of heart disease and your cholesterol levels are in the normal range, you should be able to enjoy a couple of eggs/day, if you choose to. They are packed with a ton of nutrition and are a great boost to start your day!

Our friend and colleague Mike Geary, author of “The Truth About Abs” wrote a great article himself on this very topic. I encourage you to read Mike’s article here…

Are Whole Eggs Or Egg Whites Better For You?

Scott and Mike also did a great interview together on the topic of nutrition for 6 pack abs and the topic of whole eggs came up there as well. You can listen to their interview here…

Healthy Foods For 6 Pack Abs

Have an EGG-CELLENT weekend!

Cheers to health,

Angie
ISSA-C.P.T.