eggs and high chloesterol

happymum37
happymum37 Posts: 95 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My doctor told me today that I have high cholesterol and gave me the usual low down about what foods to cut down. The only problem is that I dont eat meat so I use eggs as a good source of protein. I do get it from other sources too but this is probably my favourite. I have no idea how many eggs a week is acceptable if I'm trying to lower my it.
Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks
«1

Replies

  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Dietary cholesterol DOES NOT contribute to high cholesterol. Eat your eggs and enjoy!
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    Your body creates more cholesterol in a day than you could possibly hope to eat in a week via eggs without making yourself sick.

    Enjoy yourself. EVIDENCE.
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
    Eat more fiber and exercise. Helps to move cholesterol out of the body and allow the body to use the cholesterol more effectively. If you are really worried about eggs, eat the white only. The bulk of the protein is in the white and bulk of the cholesterol is in the yolk.
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
    Don't worry about the eggs... Be more concerned about the types of fat your foods are cooked in than the fat naturally occurring in the foods themselves... Lowering the amount of processed carbohydrates and upping your veggies can also lower your cholesterol. Good luck! BTW my cholesterol used to be over 300 with an HDL (good) of less than 30 (Should be over 50). My cholesterol is now ~200, but with an HDL of 90... So I've lowered my overall cholesterol and raised my good cholesterol by eating high protein, moderate carbs and healthy fats. (Today is a BAD day don't judge)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I used to have high LDL cholesterol...I started out around 150 or 160 or something like that...I'm now in the optimal range at 96. I eat eggs every single day. In the vast majority of cases, dietary cholesterol has little effect on your blood serum levels...your liver produces far more than you can consume.
  • parasshelawala
    parasshelawala Posts: 29 Member
    While the link between eating cholesterol and blood cholesterol seems sufficiently debunked I have talked to my doctor and a nutritionist and neither are willing to deviate from the one egg a day and 300 mg total per day. You are _probably_ fine having more eggs but I personally stick to one yolk and unlimited of egg whites per day just in case.
  • RoseyDgirl
    RoseyDgirl Posts: 306 Member
    I eat 3 eggs a day, cooked in grass fed butter - and it's delicious. I've been eating this way for 50 days - before that, didn't much like breakfast... and rarely touched them. Now 5 months ago I had higher than normal chol - 193 ...
    -
    - I will be tested in a month or so and and am hoping that eating whole foods, less processed foods, less bad fats will improve my numbers.
    -
    - Eggs are good for you. And the yolk is the most nutrient rich part.
  • happymum37
    happymum37 Posts: 95 Member
    Thanks everyone, I have been looking on the web too and there is a lot of conflicting stuff. My doctor told me I shouldn't be eating eggs more than once a week but this seemed ridiculous to me. I will see how I get on and will try just egg whites
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
    Just my personal experience, so take it for what you will....

    I had high cholesterol along with high blood sugar, etc....all comes with PCOS and being overweight most of my adult life.

    Since I started this journey I haven't worried about what meats or fats (except trans) I eat other than to choose what keeps me within my calorie goal for the day. I eat eggs all the time...sometimes 3 in a day for a few days...sometimes I go a week or 2 without eating any.

    My cholesterol was good on my last bloodwork. I think my weightloss and regular exercise has been far more relevant to my cholesterol levels than whether I have a steak, an egg, or a piece of chicken for breakfast.
  • happymum37
    happymum37 Posts: 95 Member
    cbhubbybubble wrote: »
    Just my personal experience, so take it for what you will....

    I had high cholesterol along with high blood sugar, etc....all comes with PCOS and being overweight most of my adult life.

    Since I started this journey I haven't worried about what meats or fats (except trans) I eat other than to choose what keeps me within my calorie goal for the day. I eat eggs all the time...sometimes 3 in a day for a few days...sometimes I go a week or 2 without eating any.

    My cholesterol was good on my last bloodwork. I think my weightloss and regular exercise has been far more relevant to my cholesterol levels than whether I have a steak, an egg, or a piece of chicken for breakfast.

    Thanks for this, I have pcos too and am hoping the changes I'm making will help with it
  • socalkay
    socalkay Posts: 746 Member
    edited November 2014
    Yes, eggs are our friends!

    Read this (well cited article):

    http://authoritynutrition.com/how-many-eggs-should-you-eat/

    You could even take the Jama article to your doctor (they love that LOL):
    http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=189529
  • zacksnana
    zacksnana Posts: 3,230 Member
    Calliope610 wrote: »
    Dietary cholesterol DOES NOT contribute to high cholesterol. Eat your eggs and enjoy!

    Can you quote a source for this? Out of curiosity I googled the Mayo Clinic's view on this and they seem to have a different view.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I have heard different things from professionals. One said you get the maximum in other foods and shouldn't have any. The other said that you can't change genetics and the most important thing was exercise. I think the first was giving outdated info.

    Here is one more link stating that eggs are okay:
    http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/article/sunny-side-eggs
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    some people have high cholesterol no matter if they eat healthy and lose the weight. mine was high even when I was 150 lbs and I wasnt overweight then. no matter what I do mine is never low.even with meds its not that low. mine is hereditary. I stopped taking meds because they were making me very sick. I have now cut junk food(was eating it in moderation) out of my diet and am hoping that it will make some difference the next time. for some people it will be high no matter what you do.so I would eat the eggs since new studies say they dont contribute to high cholesterol.
  • 2youngatheart
    2youngatheart Posts: 338 Member
    I eat at least 2 eggs a day...my cholesterol is low... bad is actually 70. Eggs do not contribute to it. Carbs do...white bread and sugar. They cause both triglycerides and cholesterol to go up. Causes inflammation too.Exercise is a key factor also...but what you put in should be good, whole foods. Eggs are :) so enjoy them ! Good luck!
  • 2youngatheart
    2youngatheart Posts: 338 Member
    If you only eat egg whites...you will miss the best for you part of the egg. The yolk has nutrients that are good for your eyes and skin...eat the whole egg :)
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    I'm always a little surprised at how many posters on this forum tell others to ignore a doctor's advice to his or her patient.

    For some people, known as "responders" or "hyper-responders," dietary cholesterol does have an impact on blood cholesterol. Evidence ("Male hyporesponders did not experience an increase in LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) or HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) during the egg period, whereas both lipoproteins were significantly (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.05, respectively) elevated in hyperresponders. "). More on this here ("For most people, the amount of cholesterol eaten has only a modest impact on the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. (24) For some people, though, blood cholesterol levels rise and fall very strongly in relation to the amount of cholesterol eaten. For these “responders,” avoiding cholesterol-rich foods can have a substantial effect on blood cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, at this point there is no way other than by trial and error to identify responders from non-responders to dietary cholesterol.").

    Perhaps OP's doctor is trying to verify whether she is one of these hyper-responders.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    The problem is that the issue if far more complex than just dietary cholesterol intake or saturated fat intake...
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    zacksnana wrote: »
    Calliope610 wrote: »
    Dietary cholesterol DOES NOT contribute to high cholesterol. Eat your eggs and enjoy!

    Can you quote a source for this? Out of curiosity I googled the Mayo Clinic's view on this and they seem to have a different view.

    SIGH.
  • RoseyDgirl
    RoseyDgirl Posts: 306 Member
    o:) well, I have to say, my skin does look pretty awesome since I started eating eggs... but it could also come from being naturally beautiful and the eggs just add to my glow. o:)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I personally attribute my declining cholesterol numbers to "cleaning" up my diet as a whole, getting plenty of exercise, and losing weight. I still eat all manner of flesh and I eat eggs every single day. I eat a whole lot more whole foods...lots of veg, fruit, whole grains, etc and have cut back substantially on my consumption of heavily processed foods, particularly commercial baked goods which often have hidden trans fats (i.e. not on the nutritional info, but ingredients list partially hydrogenated oils). Also, nuts (almonds in particular), avocados, salmon, and legumes have become staples in my diet.

    It's a pretty complicated issue and I basically went with what I felt to be a common sense approach. Keep in mind, heredity can play a huge factor here as well.
  • captmiddy
    captmiddy Posts: 147 Member
    ShannonMpls wrote: »
    I'm always a little surprised at how many posters on this forum tell others to ignore a doctor's advice to his or her patient.

    For some people, known as "responders" or "hyper-responders," dietary cholesterol does have an impact on blood cholesterol. Evidence ("Male hyporesponders did not experience an increase in LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) or HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) during the egg period, whereas both lipoproteins were significantly (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.05, respectively) elevated in hyperresponders. "). More on this here ("For most people, the amount of cholesterol eaten has only a modest impact on the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. (24) For some people, though, blood cholesterol levels rise and fall very strongly in relation to the amount of cholesterol eaten. For these “responders,” avoiding cholesterol-rich foods can have a substantial effect on blood cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, at this point there is no way other than by trial and error to identify responders from non-responders to dietary cholesterol.").

    Perhaps OP's doctor is trying to verify whether she is one of these hyper-responders.

    I was going to post something very similar, if someone has been given a doctor's advice to lower their intake of certain foods no one here should be telling them otherwise.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    This is older 2012 Mayo clinic. It may be what your doctor was referring to. It isn't the latest
    http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol/faq-20058468

    I find it confusing with conflicting views
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    If all he looked at was your total cholesterol, then get a new doctor.

    The idea that dietary cholesterol or dietary fats increase serum cholesterol and that it increases cardiovascular disease risk have been thoroughly debunked.

    What numbers were high? What was your HDL:TC ratio? What was your triglycerides? These numbers matter at least as much as total cholesterol.

    Carbohydrates, particularly sugars (very specifically in the case of triglycerides is fructose, which needs to be converted to fat for the body to use -- that fat is triglyceride), have the effect of lowering HDL, increasing triglycerides, and decreasing LDL particle size (all negative things). So make sure you're getting your carbs from high-quality sources with enough fiber and nutrients to help mitigate these issues -- dark leafy greens, anti-oxidant rich foods, etc.

    Fats raise HDL, increase LDL particle size, and lower triglycerides (all positive things). Make sure to work in things like avocado and coconut (coconut oil, in particular, has been shown to have positive effects on a number of health markers, and virgin coconut oil is considered better than "copra" coconut oil). I know, it sounds backwards, but it's true. Most of the studies that claim saturated fat intake causes/contributes to cardiovascular disease lump trans fats and saturated fats together and treats them the same. They are not (far from it, in fact).

    Also, the body produces cholesterol in response to damage to the body (one of its roles is cell repair). This can include inflammation caused by intolerances and/or allergies. If your cholesterol is high, there's a good chance that something else is going on and you might want to talk to your doctor about getting tested (or going to a specialist for testing) for allergies/intolerances.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21669587
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15329324
    http://www.jlr.org/content/36/8/1787.full.pdf
    http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/99/1/1#sec-9
    http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/19/why-cholesterol-may-not-be-the-cause-of-heart-disease/#close
    http://www.living-gluten-free.com/cholesterol.html
    http://kcbundy.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/eating-to-lower-cholesterol/
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    edited November 2014
    I guess I would be in the category of "hyper-responders." I have high cholesterol that is genetic, and I'm normal weight. My experience has been that my numbers are affected by consuming eggs, certain shellfish (shrimp), full fat dairy, and animal fat (chicken with skin, fatty cuts of meat), but not by nut oils or other plant-based fats. When I limit the animal fat sources, including eggs, my numbers are lower, but still not perfect. One of the worst tests I had was when I came back from a vacation where I ate a lot of raw shrimp and had eggs every morning, but rarely had a dessert. My system just seems to react to animal fats and eggs. I don't eat a lot of processed, high carb, sugary foods, so that's not even in the mix for me, but I could see how that could impact some folk, since some of those foods have transfat and hidden fats. Exercise does help keep the levels reasonable for me. My husband is the reverse -- he can eat all the eggs and meats he wants and his cholesterol is normal, but his sugar is through the roof. I think we all have different body chemistries.
  • happymum37
    happymum37 Posts: 95 Member
    I have to be honest and say I didn't really ask very much, I had some general blood tests done as routine as I've been unwell following a head injury. She said my cholesterol was 5.9 mmol
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    captmiddy wrote: »
    ShannonMpls wrote: »
    I'm always a little surprised at how many posters on this forum tell others to ignore a doctor's advice to his or her patient.

    For some people, known as "responders" or "hyper-responders," dietary cholesterol does have an impact on blood cholesterol. Evidence ("Male hyporesponders did not experience an increase in LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) or HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) during the egg period, whereas both lipoproteins were significantly (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.05, respectively) elevated in hyperresponders. "). More on this here ("For most people, the amount of cholesterol eaten has only a modest impact on the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. (24) For some people, though, blood cholesterol levels rise and fall very strongly in relation to the amount of cholesterol eaten. For these “responders,” avoiding cholesterol-rich foods can have a substantial effect on blood cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, at this point there is no way other than by trial and error to identify responders from non-responders to dietary cholesterol.").

    Perhaps OP's doctor is trying to verify whether she is one of these hyper-responders.

    I was going to post something very similar, if someone has been given a doctor's advice to lower their intake of certain foods no one here should be telling them otherwise.

    The problem with this is that doctors are human, too, and a large portion of them run on outdated information. General doctors generally get all of about 10 hours of nutrition education, and most are too busy with the demands of being a doctor to research everything under the sun to keep up with the pace of research. As a result, blind recommendations like the general "your cholesterol is high, stop eating eggs" is, at best, ineffective.

    If the doctor has a more comprehensive plan in place that the OP isn't telling us (ie - "let's see if you're a hyper-responder. For the next month, avoid these items.") then that's a different matter altogether. I've rarely seen a general doctor that goes to such lengths, though, especially if they're beholden to insurance companies.

    At the end of the day, you're responsible for your own health, and you are the one that will reap the consequences (good or bad) of following or not a given recommendation. By all means, don't just blindly listen to random people on the Internet, but when those people back up their statements with peer-reviewed research (or articles linking to said research) that contradicts what the doctor is saying, it's a good idea to hold the doctor to the standard befitting one of that position, and bring them the research and get a revised plan of action (or, if necessary, fire them and get a new doctor).
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    happymum37 wrote: »
    I have to be honest and say I didn't really ask very much, I had some general blood tests done as routine as I've been unwell following a head injury. She said my cholesterol was 5.9 mmol

    If that's the only number they gave you, get another appointment and more detailed information. Total cholesterol is not enough information for anything.

Categories