I have high LDL cholesterol but I really like eggs

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larbot3000
larbot3000 Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all

I have recently learnt after some blood tests that I have slightly high LDL cholesterol.

The information sheet that was provided to me by the GP said to limit eggs, dairy, fatty foods, oil, butter, etc. which I am mostly cool with except the bit about eggs.

Eggs form a huge part of my diet at the moment - and I love to eat them with the yolk. Scrambled eggs and boiled eggs are a good source of protein with a low calorie count and I find they keep me quite full. I like meat but I avoid it a lot because I find it hard to digest unless it's very tender.

Does anyone have alternative views about eggs and whether I can reduce my LDL without giving up eggs?

Can I continue to eat eggs

Replies

  • LetsDoThis103
    LetsDoThis103 Posts: 85
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    Yes! HDLs, which you can increase through exercise, lower LDLs. Get that good cardio in and you will start to see your LDL go down. Also, if you limit a lot of the other high cholesterol stuff, you may be able to afford some eggs here and there.
  • Jessicao33
    Jessicao33 Posts: 189 Member
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    I also have this but I stay far from egg or limit them..
  • Amy911Gray
    Amy911Gray Posts: 685 Member
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    If you can have egg whites, you can pepper them and cook them in a cooking spray with a buttery flavor. It may take a couple of tries to get them the way you like them, but they are a great alternative to no eggs at all.
  • Stephanie_skinny
    Stephanie_skinny Posts: 106 Member
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    I took a nutrion class and our professor said that one egg a day was enough for the nutrional amount requiered of protein, cholesterol etc. That is including yolk and everything. Hope this helps :wink:
  • wrevhn
    wrevhn Posts: 864 Member
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    cut back on yolks to once a day, eat more oats/oat bran

    i hear MUFAs are good for that.
  • daviedave560
    daviedave560 Posts: 1
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    Check this link. Times change, so do nutritional values in foods.

    http://voices.yahoo.com/how-much-cholesterol-egg-might-surprised-7810830.html?cat=5
  • jessiekanga
    jessiekanga Posts: 564 Member
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    I don't know how accurate this is for all, but a nutritionist explained to me that range free/cage free/antibiotic free eggs, while they still have a lot of cholesterol, don't build up/stay in your body, and therefore don't increase your overall cholesterol much or at all. I switched, and continue to eat eggs. They're a great source of protein and keep you full for a while. They're also easy... it works for me. For me, my cholesterol responded. I don't know if it'll work for you, but you can try for 3 months and see what happens. Good luck! I increased cardio too, but not a lot. I average 150 minutes a week. So between the two, it worked!
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
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    Eggs are very healthy and despite the LDL's bad reputation, it is NOT all bad; we have to have LDL and HDL cholesterol to survive. Cutting down on carbs will lower your LDL believe it or not. We need fat in our diet, so eat some good fats like nuts, fish, and olive oil. Just make sure you are eating lots of veges! If you are really worried about having eggs, try Eggbeaters; they are not bad! :wink:
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I had extemely high LDL cholesterol when I began this journey last year. I went on the Atkins diet at first (extremely high protein and fat) and my cholesterol was normal after 3 months and 30 pounds lost. Just saying that sometimes it is the weight loss itself that helps the cholesterol levels (likely to work if the weight caused the high cholesterol).
  • rvicini
    rvicini Posts: 252 Member
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    I know how you feel. Eggs are great. I can't start my day without one.
    To lower your LDL reduce your consumption of fat and try to consume foods rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat e.g. Avocado and treat yourself as I do, frying your egg with olive oil.
    Additionally my doctor had me taking an statin. Check to your doctor depending in your case but don't take it with the poor egg....
    And yzametti is right, as you reduce your weight with MFP your levels of LDL will decrease for sure
  • amanda6393
    amanda6393 Posts: 176 Member
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    Eggs are very healthy and despite the LDL's bad reputation, it is NOT all bad; we have to have LDL and HDL cholesterol to survive. Cutting down on carbs will lower your LDL believe it or not. We need fat in our diet, so eat some good fats like nuts, fish, and olive oil. Just make sure you are eating lots of veges! If you are really worried about having eggs, try Eggbeaters; they are not bad! :wink:

    ^^^This 1000%!! I eat eggs every day,along with good fats.
    Food for thought....
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-interpret-cholesterol-test-results/#axzz2AB1oAJLx
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cholesterol/#axzz2AB1UlFoB
  • cindyhoney2
    cindyhoney2 Posts: 603 Member
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    I have an egg white and a whole egg and bacon almost daily...don't cut them out entirely just cut back a little
  • eedossa
    eedossa Posts: 54 Member
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    I also had high LDL levels, and cut out every thing but eggs for six months until my follow up showed that my LDL was still pretty high. I was sad that the eggs had to go I LOVE them too), but ever since I added egg beaters to my diet, my levels finally went down.
    It may be different for you, but it was what I had to do to get healthy levels. My doctor also recommended taking fish oil supplements, and they seem to help as well.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    I don't know how accurate this is for all, but a nutritionist explained to me that range free/cage free/antibiotic free eggs, while they still have a lot of cholesterol, don't build up/stay in your body, and therefore don't increase your overall cholesterol much or at all. I switched, and continue to eat eggs. They're a great source of protein and keep you full for a while. They're also easy... it works for me. For me, my cholesterol responded. I don't know if it'll work for you, but you can try for 3 months and see what happens. Good luck! I increased cardio too, but not a lot. I average 150 minutes a week. So between the two, it worked!

    The Harvard health study found that. It's food yiur body knows what to do with.
  • larbot3000
    larbot3000 Posts: 12
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    I also had high LDL levels, and cut out every thing but eggs for six months until my follow up showed that my LDL was still pretty high. I was sad that the eggs had to go I LOVE them too), but ever since I added egg beaters to my diet, my levels finally went down.
    It may be different for you, but it was what I had to do to get healthy levels. My doctor also recommended taking fish oil supplements, and they seem to help as well.

    Thanks for this. I think I will try and cut other things the GP recommended, and eat some eggs still and then get tested again to see how I am going. I think it will vary on other factors as well, as posters above mentioned, such as eating carbohydrates in excess, other fat consumed, exercising regularly and having an overall healthy weight.
  • ygutierrezleal
    ygutierrezleal Posts: 2
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    I always have just one though. However most people have two.
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
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    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16340654

    Enough said. Eat your eggs. The liver produces the cholesterol in your blood, not the food you eat. Also cut refined carbs. In other words, eat a balanced diet of whole, natural foods and your body will reward you.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    I eat eggs 5-6 days a week, but I exercise 6 days a week (3 weight training, 2 HIIT, 1 flexibility) and my LDL's have continuously gone down each year. As you lose weight and exercise, it will automatically improve. There are much worse things out there than eggs.

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