Eggs, They Do a Body Good

Eggs have gotten a bad rap over the years due to their cholesterol content. And yes, they do have a fair amount of cholesterol. But the reality is that cholesterol in the diet only has a 3-5% correlation to serum cholesterol (in the blood). Most serum cholesterol is made from saturated fats (which is made worse by the presence of high glucose levels, resulting in high triglycerides).

Tom_Venuto at Iron Magazine takes a look at the whole egg controversy and sheds some light on the issue.

Whole Eggs: Dietary Evil or The New Superfood?
Written by: Tom Venuto

It's overly simplistic to say that the saturated or animal fats cause heart disease. It's even more simplistic and incorrect to say that foods high in dietary cholesterol such as egg yolks, will always lead to an increase in cholesterol in the blood. Many other factors are involved, including the type of saturated fat, individual genetics, current health status, exercise and the big picture of what else is consumed in the rest of the diet.

Recent research has been showing that the cholesterol in eggs is handled by most people's bodies in a way that doesn't cause heart disease and that dietary cholesterol does not necessarily translate to increased blood cholesterol or an unfavorable ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol.

Dr. Udo Erasumus in his book, Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill, said that "In 70% of the affluent populations of the world, increased cholesterol consumption decreases cholesterol production in the body through a regulating feedback system that protects them. The other 30% of the population may not have adequate feedback, and are wise to limit their dietary cholesterol consumption."

After a recent study published in The Journal Of Nutrition, Dr. Robert Nicolosi at the University of Massachusetts said, "Our data show that eating an egg a day isn't a factor for raising cholesterol."

A study reported at the 2006 experimental biology meeting in San Francisco made similar findings. The researchers discovered that when people ate three or more eggs per day, the amount of low density lipoprotein (LDL) in their bloodstream did in fact increase as previously reported.

However they also found that the subjects actually made bigger LDL particles which were less likely to enter artery walls and build up as artery-clogging plaque.

As a result of these and similar findings, head researcher Christine Green said that a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that eggs shouldn't be considered a "dietary evil."

Whole eggs have a lot going for them nutritionally speaking. The egg yolks contain a highly bioavailable source of lutein and zeaxanthin which are carotenoids that protect against cataracts and macular degeneration.

Eggs are a great source of high biological value complete protein and the protein is split almost evenly between the yolk and the white. One large egg contains 6.3 grams of protein with 3.5 grams in the white and 2.8 grams in the yolk.

Although whole eggs appear to have been exonerated, it may be premature to suggest to the entire general population that eating yolks in "unlimited quantities" is safe for ones health. 30% of the population are hyper-responders who may experience a potentially harmful change in blood lipids as a result of eating dietary cholesterol.

It's also not wise from a caloric perspective. In a fat burning program, you need to consider calories as well as nutritional value and health impact.

Whole eggs are not low calorie foods - they are very calorie dense, while egg whites are extremely low in calories, which is why egg whites are one of the top choices for lean protein on fat loss and bodybuilding diets.

You can read the rest for some info on including eggs in a healthy diet.

Personally, I don't eat much in the way of carbs (aside from berries and such), so I eat my eggs whole, all of them. I eat six eggs at a time, for about 420 calories, 42 grams of protein and 27 grams of fat, 9 of which are saturated. Sometimes I'll add some liquid egg whites to this to bump up the calories and protein. And I always use organic eggs.

Later in the article, Venuto sites former bodybuilder Vince Gironda, who has trained many well-known actors in his day (including Carl "Apollo Creed" Weathers):

Gironda had been saying from day one that the whole egg was "nature's perfect food" and he compared them to "natural steroids."

On some of his low carb "muscle definition" diets, he said you could eat as many whole eggs as you wanted and even scramble them in butter. He said that he had some of his champion bodybuilders on up to three dozen eggs a day!

Sounds good to me.

Tags: Eggs, They Do a Body Good, nutrition, Health, fitness, Iron Magazine, Tom_Venuto, Vince Gironda