Eggs and cholesterol

What a surprise! Eggs are good for us again!




Yes, scientists are slow, but at last they're beginning to catch on to what we low-carbers have known for years.

The latest gem to come from the University of Surrey is that eggs are good for us. They now confirm that eggs do not raise blood cholesterol, even though they contain over 500mg per 100g.
So why doesn't the cholesterol in eggs raise our blood cholesterol? Put simply, it's because dietary cholesterol from any source has little effect on blood cholesterol.

To quote The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov, M.D., Ph.D.,

In the early 1950's the Framingham study included dietary analyses. Almost one thousand individuals were questioned in detail about their eating habits. No connection was found between the composition of the food and the cholesterol level of the blood. Wrote Drs. William Kannel and Tavia Gordon, authors of the report: ”These findings suggest a cautionary note with respect to hypotheses relating diet to serum cholesterol levels. There is a considerable range of serum cholesterol levels within the Framingham Study Group. Something explains this inter-individual variation, but it is not diet.” For unknown reasons, their results were never published. The manuscript is still lying in a basement in Washington.

So where does our blood cholesterol come from? We make 75% of our total requirements in our liver. The other 25% we have to eat. Why? If we don't eat it the liver has to work harder to produce more, which puts a strain on liver function.

The article on eggs [above] contains a quote from Victoria Taylor of the British Heart Foundation. She says " it is more important that you cut down on the amount of saturated fat from foods like fatty meat, full fat dairy products and cakes, biscuits and pastries."

I would certainly agree with Ms Taylor regarding the cakes, biscuits and pastries as they all contain high quantities of carbohydrates along with the fat. However, I take great issue with her assertion that we should cut down on the natural fat on meats and dairy products.

Saturated fat containing real cholesterol helps to regulate insulin levels and trigger the enzymes that convert food into energy. Without sufficient cholesterol in our diet, our bodies divert it from our endocrine system to use for brain function and repair. Major hormones are also made from cholesterol: estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, DHEA, and testosterone.

Enjoy your eggs and saturated fat, and get healthy.