Egg and Cholesterol

leenites

Hi.

So this is not a new topic because everyone debates about how good/bad the cholesterol in the egg yolk is and whether or not we could/should eat the egg yolk.

Now, I'm not a typical person who is just wondering about taking 2 egg yolks a day. I take like 3 eggs (size:L) in one meal and I still want more! Pretty much, I'm obsessed with eggs.

So my question is, is it REALLY bad if I go over say 3 eggs a day? The cholesterol content in the eggs are HIGH.

Missjulesdid

The only way to know is to have your cholesterol checked regularly. For SOME people dietary cholesterol will have an effect on their overall levels. For the rest of us it will have very little effect. Personally dietary cholesterol does not seem to have an effect on my levels so I eat as much as I want, though I do find myself throwing out egg yolks when I need more protein but am close to my calories for the day.

krypt5

The only way to know is to have your cholesterol checked regularly. For SOME people dietary cholesterol will have an effect on their overall levels. For the rest of us it will have very little effect. Personally dietary cholesterol does not seem to have an effect on my levels so I eat as much as I want, though I do find myself throwing out egg yolks when I need more protein but am close to my calories for the day.

Well said.

VinVenture

Throwing out egg yolks isn't the best option, as you can scramble them and freeze them just fine and then use them later. Just a tip

Probability is, it won't have any negative effect. In fact, the brain runs mostly on (and is built of) cholesterol. And food cholesterol (good, mind you) is needed to create sex-hormones, and might increase your libido. All in all, eggs are good. If you don't have, and never have had, a cholesterol problem, I say go for it. (at your own risk bla bla bla)

auctoritas

Dietary cholesterol has little effect on blood cholesterol - your body produces the bulk of it. For most people.

That said, there is little to no evidence that high cholesterol is bad for women, and at least one study that found that there was no correlation between women with moderately high cholesterol and heart disease (though over 260 could be bad.)

http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/menoexcerpt.asp?id=65&chapterID=2

AZKristi

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/HQ00608

Basically, the way your body processes cholesterol has a lot to do with genetics. I eat an egg every day and have never had a particularly heart healthy diet but my cholesterol numbers are fine. My husband's father has followed a heart healthy diet and exercised regularly for the last 30 years and still has high cholesterol.

If they don't work for your body, don't eat them. The only way to know is to have your cholesterol checked which is a basic part of any physical.

BobbyClerici

I eat just the whites - 5 boiled eggs and the yokes get tossed.
This is a great source of protein but ONLY without the yokes.

Now, if you want to eat eggs whole, have a day - a free day once every week where you can eat anything you want. Go for it!
But let's be clear; any healthy diet will not be including egg yokes - believe it!

Missjulesdid

I eat just the whites - 5 boiled eggs and the yokes get tossed.
This is a great source of protein but ONLY without the yokes.

Now, if you want to eat eggs whole, have a day - a free day once every week where you can eat anything you want. Go for it!
But let's be clear; any healthy diet will not be including egg yokes - believe it!

Seriously? My Cholesterol is OPTIMAL. Not just ok. but OPTIMAL. I eat yolks when I want them... So why exactly are yolks unhealthy for me? I account for the calories in them so what's the problem?

Also, why are whites a great source of protein ONLY without the yolks? Does the yolk somehow cancel out the protein in the white? The Yolk also has protein you know. Not as much as the white, but it has around 40% of the eggs total protein. I admit to throwing away yolks when I'm running low on calories but there is nothing "unhealthy" about them unless you happen to be one of the unfortunates whose cholesterol is adversely affected by your dietary cholesterol.

BobbyClerici

Sometimes eating bad becomes habit - learn new habits and the weight will stay off.
Yokes = bad. No getting around that.

That's just reality, but do what you want.
Good Luck!

Missjulesdid

Sometimes eating bad becomes habit - learn new habits and the weight will stay off.
Yokes = bad. No getting around that.

That's just reality, but do what you want.
Good Luck!

Please explain WHY EXACTLY yolks=bad.
If it's due to the cholesterol and you don't have a problem with cholesterol and you repeatedly have your cholesterol checked and eating eggs is not impacting your levels then really, they're not BAD.
If it's due to the calories in them but you find that the fat in the yolk helps keep you full then they're not BAD.
Explain EXACTLY why they're bad.

BroiledNotFried

I have had "borderline" chloresterol since I was 18. In my mid-30s, it was 239. My doctor sent me to a nutritionist. The nutritionist put me on a "diet" and told me not to exercise any more then I normally did. (at the time, I wasn't in any aerobic program) I was to do this diet for 3 months. I faithfully did it. I was to eat 1/2 cup of beans a day, fish/white chicken (no red meats or skins), no dairy unless skim, no cheese, fruits, veggies, rice, oatmeal, whole grains, etc. I could have a french fry fried in veggie oil, but not the hamburger. They retested my blood. It was 239. But, my triglycerides went from 150 to 50. They were impressed with that, as triglycerides, they said, were an important risk factor in heart disease and blockages. 50 is what a person in Africa has . . . . 150 is what a person in the US has....

The doctor explained that there are two reasons for high chlorestorol. The first was that the person is eating alot of (chicken) skin, eggs, cheese, red meats and not enough of the "good" stuff. The second was that the person's liver is making too much chloresterol. That's what he said was wrong wtih me. Because I was otherwise healthy with low tri's, healthy heart, low blood pressure, etc., the doctor didn't see any reason to put me on the medicines (which all have side effects). However, he warned me to limit the bad foods . .. AND TO EXERCISE at least three times a week. The reason was because exercise would "burn off" the chloresterol. If I am exercising, my chloresterol will go down to 180. Still, not low, but better.

So, testing your chloresterol is one thing. Isolating what is wrong is another.

Eggs may be bad, but so is chicken skin and fatty red meats. Have you tried the egg substitutes? I swear by them. It's all egg whites and scrambles up or makes an omelet real fast. No cracked shell mess either.

BobbyClerici

Explain why yokes are bad?:embarassed:
They're high in all the wrong things maybe? The benefits are outweighed by the negatives. I use whites as a source of protein ONLY - not nutrition.

But if you are looking for a reason to eat yokes, just go for it. Have at it - lol

And why not have some fried bacon too?

Maidei

As a nutrition major I've been taught that egg yolks are perfectly fine unless you have a cholesterol problem, of which most people do not, or just too much of them. So I second what the first couple of people said. And egg yolks do have nutritional value so you go right ahead and enjoy your whole egg Just don't go overboard, too much of anything is not good for you

leenites

Thanks a lot for all the responses!

For some background info, my family does have a history of high cholesterol. My mother especially, has high cholesterol even though she seldom eats eggs. In fact, she eats plenty of veggies, little meat and very very little seafood.

The last time I checked my cholesterol level was in summer 2010. That time, the test came up to be normal for overall but the doctor/nutritionist told me that my "bad" cholesterol was above the normal level. This is long time ago for me so I do not really know which cholesterol she is referring to.

Ever since then, I added oatmeal into my diet. I ate at least 1 cup a day from October 2010 to July 2011. During those time, I also cut down my egg intake to at most one yolk a day. Then I cut down oatmeal intake to about 1/2 cup a day since July until last month. My egg intake remains at most one yolk a day (on average, I took about 3 a week).

These days, I still take 1/2 cup of oatmeal a day for about 5-6 times a week. So I think my "bad" cholesterol should be ok. But recently, I've had more and more cravings for eggs. So I've been taking more and more eggs.

So ya ... I'm not sure my best course of action because I do love eggs and the protein that comes along with it. But if it ever affect my cholesterol level negatively, I should control myself.

I guess the verdict is still to get check ups regularly. Blood test is expensive though. =(

Missjulesdid

Explain why yokes are bad?:embarassed:
They're high in all the wrong things maybe? The benefits are outweighed by the negatives. I use whites as a source of protein ONLY - not nutrition.

But if you are looking for a reason to eat yokes, just go for it. Have at it - lol

And why not have some fried bacon too?

I asked a question and this is your answer? I have an open mind but you are unwilling to provide any sort of reasonable and researched answer. Perhaps you should research the content of the egg yolk and the effects of dietary cholesterol on cholesterol levels and then provide me with an answer as to why egg yolks are "evil"

Again, there's nothing wrong with you tossing the yolks if you need extra protein but don't have any calories to spare on the fat in the yolk, but that does not make the yolks "bad".

obaker

auctoritas - your profile pic is awesome

and eggs are great too.

wdmom

I'm not sure why some feel yolks have no benefits. Eggs are one of the most nutrient rich foods there are. Egg whites are mostly protein. Egg yolks contain most of the nutrients. Eating whole eggs can even help with weight loss. My personal opinion is that each person must study the data and make their own decision based on their individual needs.

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that egg yolks are very nutritious. Most of the nutrients in an egg are in the yolks. Egg yolks are the only way to get a natural food source of vitamin D into your diet.

I understand that yolks have all of the fat of the egg. However, our bodies need fat to function properly. They also contain cholesterol but may in fact increase the level of good cholesterol in your body.

When I was pregnant, boiled eggs were one of the only foods which settled my 24/7 for 9 months nausea and vomiting. I asked my doctor and he said that they were an excellent food since they contained many very important nutrients including folic acid and choline and iron. Because of the vomiting, I was unable to take the prenatal multivitamins. I now have a very healthy 12 year old and a very healthy 8 year old. Both of them are doing very well academically.

http://www.getcracking.ca/dozenreasons.html

Eggs give us brainpower. Choline, a substance found in egg yolks, stimulates brain development and function.

Eggs help to keep your eyes healthy. Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants found in egg yolks and are believed to help protect eyes against damage due to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Research has shown that these antioxidants may be very important in reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in people over age 65) as well as the risk of cataracts. Those who ate eggs daily were less likely to have cataracts than those who consumed eggs less often.*

A large egg contains 6 grams of the highest quality protein found in any food. Protein is found in both the egg white and the yolk; just over half is in the white and the remainder is found in the yolk. Eat the whole egg to benefit from its full energy potential.

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Egg_Yolk.html

In fact, the slew of nutrients in an egg yolk is so comprehensive that a few a day would offer better insurance than a multi-vitamin. Most importantly, the yolk contains most of the nutrients in an egg.

Egg whites, on the other hand, contain far fewer nutrients. The only thing that could justify their consumption is their attachment to their companion yolk.

Suziq2you

Explain why yokes are bad?:embarassed:
They're high in all the wrong things maybe? The benefits are outweighed by the negatives. I use whites as a source of protein ONLY - not nutrition.

But if you are looking for a reason to eat yokes, just go for it. Have at it - lol

And why not have some fried bacon too?

Yokes? I would never eat those. They are heavy and cumbersome.
Yolks on the other hand are tasty, especially with bacon. YUM!

neanderthin

Egg whites, on the other hand, contain far fewer nutrients. The only thing that could justify their consumption is their attachment to their companion yolk.

Exactly. People that think otherwise have their blinkers on and eyes closed, fingers in ears and singing lalalala. And egg yolks actually promote a better cholesterol profile, which is what's important, not our totals.

RonSwanson66

Sometimes eating bad becomes habit - learn new habits and the weight will stay off.
Yokes = bad. No getting around that.

That's just reality, but do what you want.
Good Luck!

Please explain WHY EXACTLY yolks=bad.
If it's due to the cholesterol and you don't have a problem with cholesterol and you repeatedly have your cholesterol checked and eating eggs is not impacting your levels then really, they're not BAD.
If it's due to the calories in them but you find that the fat in the yolk helps keep you full then they're not BAD.
Explain EXACTLY why they're bad.

Don't you get it? They have "bad stuff". Furthermore, he used the words "Believe it" and "that's just reality", which as we all know adds validity to his argument.

Now look at your post. On two occasions you wrote "not BAD". Notice you capitalized the word "bad", which leads me to believe that you know he's right but you just can't bring yourself to admit it. If you were right, you would have capitalized "NOT".




(not srs)

tigersword

I eat just the whites - 5 boiled eggs and the yokes get tossed.
This is a great source of protein but ONLY without the yokes.

Now, if you want to eat eggs whole, have a day - a free day once every week where you can eat anything you want. Go for it!
But let's be clear; any healthy diet will not be including egg yokes - believe it!

All of the nutrients in eggs are in the yolk. An entire egg is nutritionally fantastic for you, the egg white is pretty much nutritionally useless.