Upon awakening this morning, the obvious answer to the question "what's for breakfast?" was eggs. You see, I like eggs and tend to eat a lot of them. I mean, who doesn't love a good omelet, right?
Now, I’m sure you’ve heard a time or two before that you should be mindful of consuming too many eggs as their cholesterol content is rather high.
I’ve even heard the recommendation that eggs should only be eaten once per week to avoid cholesterol issues. If that’s the case, I’m probably due to die rather soon.
Fortunately, it’s not.
You see, for years we have been told that cholesterol intake should be kept to a bare minimum as doing so will help to decrease blood cholesterol levels and promote overall health, and although the theory of lowering dietary cholesterol intake to lower internal cholesterol makes logical sense, the theory doesn't quite pan out, as our bodies are, generally, more complex creatures than our logical minds give them credit for.
Fact is, when dietary intake of cholesterol is decreased, the liver compensates by producing more cholesterol, leaving total cholesterol levels relatively unchanged. In the same way, if cholesterol consumption is increased, the liver produces less cholesterol, and again, total cholesterol values will not be substantially altered.
Now that's not to say that we should go hog wild with our intake of cholesterol, but it does mean that one can expect cholesterol levels to remain relatively stable over a wide range of dietary intakes.
Given this information, you may be wondering why the body would ever produce more cholesterol if cholesterol is so bad, and that's a good question.
The truth is, cholesterol actually acts as an antioxidant against dangerous free radicals within the blood and is also necessary for the production of certain hormones that help to fight against heart disease.
When there are high levels of undesirable substances in the blood (caused by the dietary intake of damaged fats, highly processed unhealthy foods, and large quantities of sugars), cholesterol levels rise in order to combat these substances.
Blaming heart disease on high cholesterol is like blaming infection on high levels of antibodies (special proteins produced by the body in order to defend against foreign bacteria and infectious agents). If the body allowed cholesterol to fall in the presence of large amounts of free radicals, our risk for heart disease would increase, not decrease, and fortunately our bodies wont let that happen.
So, the answer to decreasing blood cholesterol levels is not avoiding omelets and not necessarily decreasing dietary cholesterol intake, but rather improving ones diet overall by eating healthier in general and avoiding the other harmful types of foods mentioned.
Combine that with increased physical activity and both you and your cholesterol levels will be in even better shape.
If anything, egg consumption is likely to protect against heart disease because it increases the proportion of large, buoyant LDL particles. Larger LDL particles can carry more cholesterol, which means fewer particles are needed overall. In other words, egg consumption may decrease LDL particle concentration, which is the most significant risk factor for heart disease.
Eggs, one of the most nutrient-dense
foods available. One egg provides 13 essential nutrients, all in the yolk
(contrary to popular belief, the yolk is far higher in nutrients than the
white).
Eggs are an excellent source of B
vitamins, which are needed for vital functions in the body, and also provide
good quantities of vitamin A, essential for normal growth and development.
The vitamin E in eggs protects
against heart disease and some cancers; eggs also contain vitamin D, which
promotes mineral absorption and good bone health.
Eggs are rich in iodine, for making
thyroid hormones, and phosphorus, essential for healthy bones and teeth.
Eggs are also good sources of
antioxidants known to protect the eye. Therefore, increased plasma
concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin in individuals consuming eggs are also
of interest, especially in those populations susceptible to developing macular
degeneration and eye cataracts.
There’s absolutely no reason to
limit your consumption of eggs to three to four per week, as recommended by “heart-healthy”
nutritional guidelines. In fact, consuming two to three eggs per day would
provide a better boost to your health and protection against disease than a
multivitamin supplement. Eggs truly are one of nature’s super-foods.
It’s important, however, to make
sure that you buy organic, pasture-raised eggs. Studies show that
commercially-raised eggs are up to 19 times higher in pro-inflammatory omega-6
fatty acids. Unfortunately, almost all eggs sold in supermarkets – even the
organic eggs sold at chains such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats – are not truly
pasture-raised.
EAT HEALTHY, LIVE HEALTH.
