Eggs, Cholesterol, and Your Heartitude

This is a great post. I am also a fan of eating a lot of eggs, they are cheap, and make for a great meal. I have been hearing a lot, by less fitness minded friends, that it is So bad to consume so many eggs. I have done some of my own research in the past, now I have a concise post to point them towards.

Thanks

I love eggs myself. Thanks for this amazing information.

heya joel, another good post again but one question

alot of the time i have been told ( if u can believe it) to eat MAX 3 eggs a week. many times i tried this and many times i failed as i could not do it, i just like eggs to much. during the week i am busy so on saturday and sunday breakfast i chow down on LOTS of eggs. and every time i did so i kinda felt guilty, but i had to have them, eggs are like my fix.

so was just wondering how many eggs would you reccomend on a week, because im pretty sure i could go through around 10+ if i wanted

thanks and bye

Hey Joel,

Great article–you’re making TCNJ proud, man. One thing about scrambling eggs…Dr. Mercola at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/08/what-are-the-best-type-of-eggs-to-get.aspx says that scrambling eggs can oxidize the cholesterol in the eggs, making it potentially damaging to your arteries. To be on the safe side, I’ve started lightly cooking my eggs sunny-side up, usually leaving the yolk soft. What do you think about scrambling vs. cooking them less to avoid possible cholesterol oxidization?

Yes, there is little support for a direct, positive relationship between dietary cholesterol and blood serum cholesterol levels – however, as you and others have pointed out, dietary sources of cholesterol are often nutritionally compromised: corn-fed livestock and the byproducts (dairy, for instance) often contain a number of unhealthy – and unnatural – substances, as well as unbalanced (and unnatural) macro- and micronutrients. Thus, eliminating these sources of cholesterol allows the body to let cholesterol levels drop, and re-balance (HDL and LDL, small and large particle varieties of both).

Very interesting post, Joel! I’ve always figured there was far more to the story about eggs and cholesterol, after all eggs have been a staple in human diets since ancient times. Another point you didn’t mention was the fact that eggs contain lecithin, which actually inhibits the absorption of cholesterol, so it almost seems like a moot point to worry about the cholesterol content anyway.

I’m a walking billboard for the safety of eggs. I’m 50 years old and have eaten from 2-4 WHOLE eggs daily all my life, even as a child. My cholesterol is in the normal range as is my blood pressure. Probably the bigger danger is eating eggs that have been fried in margarine. I also work out 5 days per week as has been my routine for the past 25 years, so I believe that has a lot to do with it.

Joel, I’m like you. I love my omelettes. I make huge omelettes with tons of peppers, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes and three eggs. Great way to get in needed protein and get your veggies in. They are the best things and I’ve never bought into the whole “eggs are bad” nonsense. However, I’ve always wondered if it is better to cut down slightly on the whole eggs and use eggs whites. I know that you need whole eggs as well, but should you do both i.e. instead of three whole eggs, use two whole eggs and 1/2 cup egg whites. Is that more healthy?

Can’t stress also raise cholesterol?

Oh, that settles it so clearly in my mind now.

I knew that egg consumption vs. cholesterol level was more of a myth than anything else, but I didn’t know that cholesterol was, in fact, an antioxydant!

So high cholesterol level is really just an INDICATOR that you’re body’s in rather crappy shape.

Thanks for the hint!

Mat

@Dee –

Of course, since stress increases free radicals :)

Joel, after a back injury in 2004, I haven’t been able to exercise, my main thing was jogging. I would jog- two to five miles a day. I started eating badly, fast easy foods. My cholesterol jumped from 150 to 220 every part is high.

I have a new doctor. On the first visit she gave me Simvastatin to lower my cholesterol. She sneered when I asked her about my diet and checking my arteries. She said, “Just take the pills.”

(My Insurance company won’t pay to my circulator system checked until I have a heart attack)

I have to go back in three months to have my cholesterol tested. In the mean time I knocked out fast foods, and am trying to walk each day, some days that’s impossible. I have been taking a over the counter pills with plant sterols.

Do you have any advice to someone in my situation?

Had two poached eggs this morning for breakfast. Had FOUR poached eggs yesterday for breakfast. Me? I’m clearly not concerned with the idea that I might be eating too many eggs !!

OMG!!! Not another discussion on eggs and whether eating too much of it increase cholesterol levels. You would only worry about it if you had high cholesterol (the bad one) in the first place, and only eating egg whites, give me a break, how stupid is that, sorry each one to their own

I hadn’t realized that cholesterol was a side effect of poor eating (including perhaps, factory farmed eggs). Thanks for the info. Are there scientific studies that you could cite for some of this info? Thanks

I agree, eggs are a perfect snack. Basically eggs have all the ingredients to make life, and therefore eggs are the best natural source of nutrients, minerals och vitamins.

Frank & Christina Zane wrote about cholesterol and eggs nearly 20 years ago in their book Superbodies in 12 weeks, the issue was controversial at the time (and still are), but Zane ate a lot of eggs and recommended reading of Richard A. Passwater book Supernutrition for Healthy Hearts. In wich Passwaters writes that eggs are not the problem, but the processed/refined carbohydrates.

I’m a great example of this, because i had high cholesterol for years, and have gotten it back to normal range in the past couple of years. As a child, teen, college student: mostly starchy breakfasts, bad cholesterol. As an young adult, eggs every day (2-3 daily, and usually at least 2 yolks) and great cholesterol. Gotta love explaining that to uninformed friends.

Eggs are goooodddd. I never paid alot of attention to the whole debate. Frankly if we listened to all the experts all the time wed be living on water and bean sprouts. That is until they decided those are bad for you too.

Fact: The only thing better than eating a 48oz steak is eating a 40oz steak that Joel Marion pays for.

And then ordering dessert.

Regarding cholesterol: Joel you are absolutely correct. When all other things are equal, cholestoral levels are affected a lot more by activity level than dietary intake.

Careful, Jason. At least some bean sprouts are toxic.

;-)

Well said, Joel.

Cholesterol is completely misunderstood, even in the health industry.

Easily the number on cause of elevated cholesterol is poor, glycemically unbalanced diet (i.e. sugar, refined carbohydrates). Insulin upregulates HMG-CoA reductase, the enzyme responsible for making cholesterol.

You’re right, dietary intake of cholesterol has virtually no effect on serum cholesterol levels. And cholesterol by itself is not inherently bad. It’s when there is inflammation (and oxidation) that it can be problematic.

As you said, cholesterol has antioxidant properties, but it also stabilized cell membranes and is a precursor to all of our steroid hormones (i.e. cortisol, DHEA, testosterone, etc.).

Good post.

Dr. Bryan Walsh

Hey I love eggsand I never id believe that health warning about cholesterol. Only now I get to eat whole eggs for breakfast on my cheat day all the othe days it egg whites only. ( anybody mastered the art of taking the yolk without breaking it ?)

Hey Joel & Gang,
I agree that our blood cholesterol numbers are affected little by the “high cholesterol” foods that we eat, such as eggs and red meat. It seems that sugar intake and insulin levels have much more to do with blood cholesterol. “Sugar Busters” is one book that discusses the sugar/insulin/cholesterol connection.

I LOVE eggs – veggie omelet is my absolute perfect breakfast!!! I do mix whole eggs with egg whites to cut down on calories – would love to see a discussion on that. My Mother is thin and eats a healthy diet but has high (genetically?)cholesterol – so far, mine is in the good range, even though I tend more toward heavy thatn thin – hope it stays that way (looks like I did not get the high cholesterol gene)

I have eggs most days for breakfast, and thoroughly enjoy them! I had high cholesterol BEFORE I started training and having a higher protein intake/healthier diet (including eggs) so was put on statin meds. I also had high blood pressure, but since exercising and changing my diet, I’ve been able to get off the blood pressure medication.

I’m now about to try going off the statins (cholesterol lowering meds) under medical supervision, and will be interested to see what happens. I’ll keep eating the eggs though!

I have genetic issues with High Cholesterol so proper diet and execise is the key. I have dropped mine by 60 points and changed my LDL/HDL in the right directions. I also eat egg whites mostly (the kind you buy in the small cartons at Costco) and keep a good fish oil suplimentation on a daily basis.

Joel is correct and thanks Dr. Bryan Walsh for your comments as well. ;-)

love scrambled eggs. Ive been eating them daily since early childhood and my cholesterol levels are more than ok. thank you Joel for your revealing posts

Ah eggs natures perfect food . This makes them better. My typical breakfast is 4 egg whites & 2 whole eggs mixed in with about 3 cups of steamed frozen vegetables ( I mix several different mixes so I get a lot of different colors & nutrients) I also mix in alot of spices or spicy sauces. Louisiana Hot Wing sauce is awesome so is Thai Peanut sauce. Or use an Italian tomato sauce. Maximum high quality protein, lots of nutrients, fiber & anti-oxidants in the veggies & the olive oil I cook with adds some good fat. I’m a hard-core 52 year old who has done about 700 reps of crunches , on floor, swiss ball or hanging upside down with gravity boots for 8 years & 44 weeks-without missing a day. I have spent a lifetime lifting weights, practicing martial arts, doing exercises & working hard at manual labor. Eggs have always been one of my preferred protein sources.

I always found interesting that people with high cholesterol levels don’t eat eggs. If you look at 99% of people with high cholesterol , the #1 thing they have in common is that they don’t eat eggs. The #2 is that they don’t do any resistance training. Now were having some kids with high cholesterol levels and parents buying al sorts of crappy foods that say “Cholesterol Free”.

But educating the parents is not as bad as it could be. Thanks to profesionals like you Joel that write some good info.

I have always hated eggs. I never developed a taste for them. I make some pretty good egg dishes for my family and they love them. I would like to eat them. My doctor tells me to eat them. But how does one acquire a taste for them?

I like eggs. Besides, I thought they have been called the perfect protein because they have a value of 1.

Yes Joel,
All you have stated is spot on and the other thing is I am sick of hearing that high Cholesterol is definately bad for you…..the thing is that genetically some people just produce more Cholesterol than what is considered standard and their bodies can handle it. My advise only see the doc if really absolutely necessary…yeh! I know, many will roast me, but its a democratic society so I say what I believe, and by the way eggs are one of natures best foods, full of vitamins and minerals and protein etc…so eat more eggs and live life to the full.

Hey Joel,

Thanks for yet another interesting post. The fact is, I eat any where between 18-24 eggs a day. Most of these are hard boiled, except for the 3-4 eggs I eat during breakfast which are sunny-side up. I’ve had this routine for a few months now. Primarily, I took to this diet to cut down on the excess fat and lose inches on my waist-line and I coupled this with your recommended car-protein-fat ratio diet. it has worked wonders for me but I do frequently contemplate if I am over-doing my egg intake. Any inputs as to the max. intake in a day (except the cheat day) would be really very helpful and would be the missing link in my diet I feel.

Thanks

I guess i have been fooled by the so called medical experts around,that egg is only good for children. hum

It is really a great and nice piece of information. I personally like to eat organic eggs and use to eat a lot.

I love eggs – especially the chocolate ones at easter time ;)

The most important statement in your blog is “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”. That is important information. Thanks!

“Now that’s not to say that we should go hog wild with our intake of cholesterol”

– So many whole eggs per day could be considered moderate or within limits?

Spot on Joel, eggs are a perfect balance between protein and fat. If fact they are a perfect food. I eat 6 to 8 every day and have done for ages. I had my blood profile done the other week and every marker is the same or better than 2 years ago. That clinches it for me, not that there was any doubt in my mind. Keep up the good work.
Alan.

This information is good to hear but it does not surprise me. As a 54 year old bodybuilder, and an avid egg eater, I have been eating eggs all of my life. There was a time that I consumed 150+ per week. Concerned about the quantities that I was ingesting, I had my blood serum levels checked on a number of occasions and it was always in the normal range. Eggs are almost the perfect food. Good job Joel.

Joel,

Thanks for the post. It finally explains to me in human words what cholesterol is and what it does.
I do eat eggs quite often (as they are also used in your cheat your way thin program) and now I can do this without having to worry about cholesterol (needless to say I did not really worry too much since I do eat them a lot).

Thanks again.

Thanks for that information Joel, I have always been a little anxious about high cholesterol , the medical media inform us that cholesterol is a bad thing and that we should do all that we can to eliminate cholesterol . They never really give you all the facts . But seen in your perspective it makes a lot more sense ,now I can enjoy my eggs again , as I have ration myself in the past in belief that they were high in cholesterol and were contributory to high cholesterol level’s. Yours Sincerely.

Thanks alot Joel, I stopped eating eggs because of their “High Cholesterol” now, thanks to you, I know that they’re not bad at all. I hate bad, decieving media; unfortunately, I have to read your postings before I find out I was listening to some of that bad media.

Sincerely.

wow that really clears all my confusion and it will help me to make my father understand in a better way.
Thanks a lat.

Hello Joel, this maybe a little off topic. But I am curious about the comment on sugar and high cholesterol. I seem to struggling with my choelsterol level, each time I get it checked the doctor explains to me that my level is getting high, but my bad cholesterol accounts for most of it. I would say that my diet is fairly good, not perfect, weight is good, stay active, Omega3 fish oil every day. BUT, I seem to have a sweet tooth, getting worse the older I get, I am 46. The doctor has never mentioned sugar to me????
Confused,

My level was always less than 200 except for a time I bumped up my workout routine from for a couple of weeks. The test came back at 207. The thing was the LDL had gone up 3 points and the HDL had increased 17 points. Triglycerides went up to 37. Heredity plays a big part in cholesterol levels. The only person in my family that has a problem is my sister, probably because of her lack of activity due to other health problems. I grew up on cereal, bacon and toast with real butter for breakfast and we had meat or seafood for every meal for dinner. I was fortunate to work at a place that had two gyms and a fantastic cafeteria so I just had to have a breakfast of eggs, scrapple, creamed chipped beef and home fries(!) nearly every day after my workout.

All I can say is yeah! I was told to only eat egg whites and only every other but I cannot bear to take out that yummy yellow yoke – it just feels wrong. I think I will continue to enjoy be bi-daily intake of eggs – all free range of course.

This post puts me to think about this: Why do we get so often unreliable and confusing healthcare information?

People who are responsible of spreading this kind of information should be much more serious about their job and provide us with something to really rely on!

Thanks Joel…

So where does the idea of ‘only eating egg whites’ stand?

There’s alot of training/nutrition advice out there that recommends cutting down on the yoke (i.e. 1 yoke per 2-3 eggs) or just not eating the yoke at all…as “most cholesterol is stored in the yoke”.

But with the info you’ve blogged -this certainly makes me wonder?

i came across a great delicious morning egg recipe to have in my CHEAT DAYS…not in my diet days…its too fatenning for ur diet days.
I butter the internal sides and base of a ramekin or mold and pour a TBSP of single cream, a tiny slice of bacon or any smoked meat, a small peice of amercian or swiss cheddar, crack open an egg and then finish it off with a little more cream, approx a tsp of cream, salt and pepper…bake it in a water bath in a 400 degrees oven for 8 minutes….the most delicious creamy egg bake ever…eggs are delicious and i never cared about their cholesterol content cuz i read mike’s book…and i have knowledge about the truth behind cholesterol…in my diet days, i have them boiled…fried in evoo…or scrambled in coconut oil….delicious

I live on egg whites, Baked skinless chicken breast and salmon along with other fish for my protein sources for years and my G*d D**n cholesterol number was 333 so I had to go on medication. While all tha t time I was doing resistance training 3-5 day per week (depending on the training phase I was in ) and a reasonable amount of cardio too. I now enjoy an egg yolk or two with my breakfast and with the meds, my numbers are in the 120-30 range.

Hey Joel, you could also follow your story up with the fact that the fat in those eggs is predominately monounsaturated which raises HDL and lowers LDL.

And by the way that 48 oz’er consisted of 50% monounsaturated fat. The saturated component amounts to 45%, but about 1/3 of that was in the form of stearic acid which has the effect of also raising HDL while having no effect on LDL. This can be found in the Nutrient Database for Standard Reference at the USDA web site.

hey, joel,

i remember being laughed at many times over the last 25 years when i told people not to deprive themselves of eggs and whole milk and other so called high cholesterol foods. it is so common sense to me!! even after all the research that’s out there, there are people who have been so brainwashed over the years and choose to stay ignorant, like the people who believed the earth was flat!!! i cringe at the thought of nature’s most perfect food (egg yolks) being thrown down the drain!! yikes!!!!!!

one more thing. not only my family and i enjoy whole eggs regularly, my 3 beautiful cats also receive a raw egg yolk (raw egg whites are not healthy for cats) daily with brewers yeast sprinkled on top. they love it, and it keeps them healthy and with a very shiny coat!!!

not only eggs do not raise cholesterol, but they also contain lutein for healthy vision and sulfur for healthy skin and hair. remember, eggs contain all the nutrients needed for a new life (the baby chick) to grow on!!!!! it’s truly and amazing food!

how did i forget that eggs contain lecithin?? lecithin’s molecule has one hydrophilic side and one lipophilic. the lipophilic side binds to cholesterol and excretes it. a natural, whole grain, high fiber diet does the same thing. the fiber binds and excretes excess cholesterol. so, a person who lives on white bread, pasta and rice will have to deal with the consequences of those poor choices.

I can only agree with previous speakers, and especially dimitra. Egg’s togheter with milk are the two most complete foods avaliable on the planet, containing all the nutrients you need to survive, excluding vitamin c. I can’t stand the thought of throwing away such good food either just beacuse of the calorie intake, and frankly I don’t really buy even the calorie restriction argument for throwing them out, at least not for most people.

One large egg contains about 70 cal. 45 of these come from fat, or the yolk. Assume that you cook yourself a breakfast with a base of 3 eggs. That’s 135 cal coming from the yolk, which equals to not even two apples. Divide those 135 cal over the rest of your meals that you eat that day and you can see that you don’t have to cut back on a lot to save in those calories to make the equation go round. In addition you will also have covered 45% of your RDI of vitamin D, 91% of your RDI of selen and THREE times the amount of your needed amount of vitamin B12. Just to mention a few.

So eat that yolk, damn it!

I sometimes go weeks eating 3 eggs for breakfast everrrrrrrrryy dayy! So this information is really awesome to know! My friends would always tell me it was unhealthy or that I would eventually get heart problems from all the cholesterol, but next time I hear that, i’ll just show them this post :))

Crack the egg in half but hold the halves together over a cup or bowl. gently rock the egg back and forth switching the yolk between the halves – eventually, all the white will runn out the crack and you will be left with a beautifully whole yolk ….. I never do it though … I eat mine!!

@Alan Morris -

I’m not convinced that the cholesterol in eggs can be absorbed by the body anyway. Can it?

I have high cholesterol and my doctor wants to start me on drugs to reduce it. I’ve made a pact with him: Give me 3 months and let me see if I can turn things around in the right direction. If not, I’ll try the drugs. The 3 months expires in mid-Feb, 2010.

I’m very new to this program – still at the planning stage, but will start this week – and am being ‘slightly’ bombarded by well-meaning friends who are telling me to cut back on meat, eggs, etc, yet I was of the opinion that good general dietary practices and exercise are more the way to go in order to lower cholesterol. Having read all these great posts, starting with Joel’s, I’m feeling much more confident, so a BIG thank-you to all!

By the way, I love eggs. And the eggs I eat come straight from my own healthy, organically-fed chooks (‘chooks’ is Aussie for chickens). :)

Hi Joel, thanks for this one because I love eggs! I have replaced oatmeal with eggs every morning and I have really seen the health/fat loss benefits

This is a “cracking” debate though! (sorry for that one, British humor)

hey Joel,
Alright so i get ur point that eggs dont increase cholesterol. Agreed. But what u did mention is that an intake of highly processed foods and sugar could increase cholesterol levels. So what about people following your CYWT program, which i have just started myself. I mean im sure it works, but what are the chances of the all out cheat days increasing our cholesterol levels?