This week I’ve had the pleasure of entertaining some of my closest fitness buddies for a few days here in Tampa, and upon awakening, several of us found ourselves facing the all too common dilemma deciding what to eat for breakfast.
Vinny (Del Monte) chose to go with some left-over lobster and steak from our evening at Shula’s the night before (where, by the way, John Romaniello joined me in being inducted in Shula’s 48 oz. Club, by ordering—and finishing—their signature 48 oz. Porterhouse. Nice work, John), while I decided to go with the more conventional egg.
You see, truth is, I like eggs and tend to eat a lot of them.
Now, I’m sure you’ve heard a time or two before that you should be mindful of consuming too many unhatched chickens 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 serum 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 won’t 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.
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Joel
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
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!
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...read more