Health of Egg Consumption

[Gonzo]

Been eating lots of eggs lately. Mostly over easy/ omelets and sometimes scrambled. We just got a few cartons from a local chicken farmer that taste great.

I've heard a few contradicting sources on the health risks/ benefits of eating eggs. First it was that egg protein is good. Then it was that the cholesterol in eggs causes arteries to clog up provoking heart attacks and shortens one's life span. Another source claims that it lowers the chances of heart attacks, heart disease, breast cancer, cataracts, eye degeneration, and stroke. First that 7 eggs a week were the limit and then a much higher number. Others say just not to eat them.

So does anyone know the moderate limit of egg consumption per week?

[LadyShea]

Are you also eating veggies and fruits and grains and stuff? Do you try to eat fresh over processed the majority of the time? Then your egg consumption is fine.

Moderate and well balanced are not all that difficult to determine, don't let the media confuse you.

[Gonzo]

I could prolly eat more of those fruit things, but I do drink a lot of cranberry/ orange juice.

We almost always have processed eggs, but I am trying to get us a half dozen hens for the coop we have and so far the consensus is good.These fresh eggs are noticeabley better. It might be easier to do than the milk cow I've been pushing for. Or maybe an ostrich.

[LadyShea]

Also keep in mind that cholesterol is trisky, a lot of how it effects your health is individual. For example my mom has cholesterol problems regardless of her diet and exercise...a fact that led to her being included in a study of cholesterol reducing drugs specifically for those like her. My brother may have the same issue. My dad and I, however, have no problems with high cholesterol.

You're just a kid, right? Consider getting a full check up with a physical and blood work and see where you are.

[ShottleBop]

Dietary cholesterol has only an extremely minor effect on blood levels of cholesterol (assuming that you even believe that high cholesterol is the cause of heart disease). Read Uffe Ravnskov's Fat and Cholesterol are GOOD For You. He's got a new one out, too, which I haven't read yet: Ignore the Awkward! How the Cholesterol Myths are Kept Alive. Also good: Malcolm Kendrick's The Great Cholesterol Con, Anthony Colpo's book by the same title, Gary Taubes's Good Calories, Bad Calories, Terry Pratchett's Hogfather, and James Carlson's Genocide: How Your Doctor's Dietary Ignorance is Killing You.

[LadyShea]

Ravnskov maintains a site. It's still difficult to determine who is telling the truth and who is mistaken, which is why I tend towards the common sense end of things.

[ShottleBop]

I have a personal interest in the issue, as well. My total cholesterol is north of 300. More than 200 of that is LDL. My doctor does talk to me about statins, but after Mrs. ShottleBop's disastrous trial of three different statins in three months (severe muscle pain, and she's never regained the strength she lost), I have no interest in taking them. Moreover, my most recent HDL measurement was 68 (more than 60 is considered very protective; it's been as high as 95), and my most recent triglycerides measurement was 63 (generally, if your trigs are under 70, there is a very high likelihood that your LDL is the light, fluffy kind that is not of concern). A trigs/HDL ratio of less than 2 is also considered a good sign. Mine is less than 1.

And, we should note, cholesterol numbers are nowhere near as static as the medical establishment would have us believe. When I was initially diagnosed as "pre-diabetic", two tests only a week apart differed by more than 10 percent. Stress, body position, and other weird factors can affect the test.

Check out Dr. William Davis's "The Heart Scan Blog", too.

[ShottleBop]

Originally Posted by Gonzo

I could prolly eat more of those fruit things, but I do drink a lot of cranberry/ orange juice.

We almost always have processed eggs, but I am trying to get us a half dozen hens for the coop we have and so far the consensus is good.These fresh eggs are noticeabley better. It might be easier to do than the milk cow I've been pushing for. Or maybe an ostrich.

Juice is the devil. Pure fructose (which goes straight to your liver, and can result in fatty liver). Check out

Robert Lustig's lecture: "Sugar, The Bitter...

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Between the eggs and the juice, pick the eggs.

[Gonzo]

Well, granulated stuff sort of gives sugars a bad name, doesn't it? I mostly drink juice for the easy vitamin C intake. And it's delicious. I've grown to avoid sugar for the most part and replaced soda with coffee a long time ago. Basically if I know something has no nutritional value I try to pass it up. Except Grandma's brownies. And cookies. NOM NOM NOM

I'm not too worried about a glass of juice or two a day, though. I need some sugar damn't.

[ShottleBop]

"Fructose, insulin resistance, and metabolic dyslipidemia.

Abstract:

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are occurring at epidemic rates in the United States and many parts of the world. The "obesity epidemic" appears to have emerged largely from changes in our diet and reduced physical activity. An important but not well-appreciated dietary change has been the substantial increase in the amount of dietary fructose consumption from high intake of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, a common sweetener used in the food industry. A high flux of fructose to the liver, the main organ capable of metabolizing this simple carbohydrate, perturbs glucose metabolism and glucose uptake pathways, and leads to a significantly enhanced rate of de novo lipogenesis and triglyceride (TG) synthesis, driven by the high flux of glycerol and acyl portions of TG molecules from fructose catabolism. These metabolic disturbances appear to underlie the induction of insulin resistance commonly observed with high fructose feeding in both humans and animal models. Fructose-induced insulin resistant states are commonly characterized by a profound metabolic dyslipidemia, which appears to result from hepatic and intestinal overproduction of atherogenic lipoprotein particles. Thus, emerging evidence from recent epidemiological and biochemical studies clearly suggests that the high dietary intake of fructose has rapidly become an important causative factor in the development of the metabolic syndrome. There is an urgent need for increased public awareness of the risks associated with high fructose consumption and greater efforts should be made to curb the supplementation of packaged foods with high fructose additives. The present review will discuss the trends in fructose consumption, the metabolic consequences of increased fructose intake, and the molecular mechanisms leading to fructose-induced lipogenesis, insulin resistance and metabolic dyslipidemia.

This isn't just HFCS. It's fructose, generally.

I'll step off the soapbox, now. Off to the dog park with Mac. Catch you folks later!

[Ensign Steve]

Eggs are great for you. Don't listen to anybody who says otherwise. That is my logical and reasoned argument on the topic.

[Gonzo]

I agree with Ensign Steve.

Might aswell go ahead and lock the thread now. Case closed.

[Qingdai]

Also egg preparation changes the fat intake, poaching and boiled eggs are supposed to be better, something about the unbroken yolk. Something which I've never researched because I hate boiled eggs and will only eat eggs scrambled or something.

No need to research something you won't eat.

In reality, food preparation, proportions and individual metabolisms are a very tricky set of variables to negotiate. I like reading Michael Pollen books about the subject, because he retains some of the complexity of feeding in scientific, cultural and ecological terms..

[livius drusus]

Have you ever tried carrot juice, Gonzo? I think it's the most delicious of all juices and it's absurdly good for you. Carrot and orange juice combined taste amazing, like the fresh blood orange juice my dad used to make me back in the good ol' days.

[Deadlokd]

Hogfather ShuttleBop?

[mulebear]

Now I'm craving a fried egg.

On bread.

With mayo.

And cheese.

And sriracha.

Off to the kitchen.

[livius drusus]

Egg salad on toasted whole wheat with arugula for me.

[mulebear]

Egg has been conquered. Nom nom nom.

[mulebear]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

Egg salad on toasted whole wheat with arugula for me.

Excellent.

[livius drusus]

That it were.

[Kyuss Apollo]

eggy-weggs, fried in a cast iron pan with a touch of olive oil, sprinkled with redmond's natural sea salt and a liberal wafting of chipolte pepper...

[ShottleBop]

I have an omelet almost every day. My favorite lunch restaurant serves them all day. I have them with sliced tomatoes instead of fried potatoes and fruit sald--avocado and bacon, avocado and Canadian bacon, mushroom and sausage, mushroom and spinach, spinach and feta, spinach and brie, avocado and cheddar. On weekends--and sometimes, for dinner, Mrs. ShottleBop makes omelets for breakfast/dinner: pesto and cheese, salmon and onion, pepperoni and cheese, usually over arugula or mixed greens.

[Gonzo]

I had one for dinner a few days ago crammed with mushrooms and cheese. 'Twas awesome.

[ShottleBop]

I have a breakfast date with Mrs. ShottleBop this morning. I'm going to take Mac to the dog park early, and, when I come back, we will have omelets together. To keep my blood sugar under control until then (mine will often start rising upon wakeup, and then keep rising until I eat), I'm eating an avocado before I go.

[ShottleBop]

Lox, onion and cheese omelet, with a handful of fresh raspberries on the side and a cup of Sumatran Blend--heaven!