To egg, or not to egg - that is the question

[Brydon2018]

A few short decades ago we were told 'Go to work on an egg', then ten years later we were warned that eating more than a couple of eggs a week could raise our colesterol to dangerous levels. Next we were told that up to nine eggs a week 'is good for older people'. One lady I knew of 98 regularly ate 9-12 eggs a week - and my grandma was similar and lived to be 91. Is it in the eggs - or in the genes? Hmm a puzzlement.

[Zest]

Hi Brydon2018 ,

Personally, I enjoy eating eggs and I do consider them to be a healthy addition to my food intake - here is some information that I have found helpful in this:

NHS Choices information on Eggs:

nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pa...

Healthline information on Eggs:

healthline.com/nutrition/10...

Hope you're enjoying the start to the new week.

Zest

[Fran182716 Prediabetic]

i can't link you to the science but people more knowledgeable than me on the cholesterol forum have advised dietary cholesterol such as found in eggs has very little impact on your blood cholesterol levels because your body manufactures its own cholesterol. Your body needs a certain amount of cholesterol to function properly, some one else may come along and explain this better. So unless you have been diagnosed with a genetic high cholesterol you don't have to worry about it being in food and losing weight and excercise are more likely to reduce a lifestyle induced high cholesterol than avoiding certain foods. Eggs are very good nutrition wise with plenty of protein and vitamins/ minerals.

[andyswarbs in reply to Fran182716]

Fran182716 , please can you provide the research link.

If it is the study I am thinking of it compared eating eggs in people with high cholesterol with people on not quite so high cholesterol and concluded that eggs had little effect. To my mind such a study can yield dangerous conclusions.

Instead the the research shows that eggs did not raise cholesterol in people with initial low cholesterol then I am very very interested.

[Fran182716 Prediabetic in reply to andyswarbs]

No sorry I already said above I was quoting others on the cholesterol forum

[Fran182716 Prediabetic in reply to andyswarbs]

Sorry I don't have time to go back to the cholesterol forum and search for other people's links, however even heart uk which very much promotes a lower saturated fat diet says eggs are not a concern unless you have familial hypercholersterolaemia

[TheAwfulToad]

The whole dietary-cholesterol thing (and the associated "eggs are poison!") meme was a huge and fortunately short-lived mistake. The amount you ingest has no effect whatsoever on total blood cholesterol or on the various lipoproteins that doctors measure as risk markers for heart disease. Most governments have now removed their recommendations for dietary cholesterol. Some advice still recommends limiting egg consumption because they contain saturated fat, but this only matters if you are eating a diet containing excessive amounts of starch: the more sensible approach is to limit your starch intake.

I eat 2-5 eggs a day because they're a no-brainer for getting adequate protein. Personally I find it's difficult to over-indulge. They're just too rich, so you naturally don't feel inclined to eat more than about 3 at a sitting - which, fortuitously, works out to about 20g of protein, which is the amount your body can happily cope with in one meal.

[Hidden]

Hi Brydon2018, I have an egg for breakfast most days and to me there's more to it than just cholesterol as there's good cholesterol and bad cholesterol and this is the secret to keep the balance right for your body.

My cholesterol levels are way below normal and my good cholesterol is over twice that of my bad cholesterol levels.

So to me its all about a balanced diet for 'our' dietary needs. 😊

[Hidden]

i knew of a husband and wife ( my neighbours) both of who where doctors in nutrition.. one died at the age of a 106, and the other not long after at a 103 ... i think nutrition probably played a very big part in there very long lifes.

am going back may be 18 years.. there name i was hart we planted a magnolia tree in there memory.. am sure they wont mind me telling you there name.

dont know if they eat eggs though but as the whole world eats them then they probably did 🤔 🤗

[Hidden]

Where is this? Somewhere nice? It's a lovely story.

As for eggs, it's good for you. If you eat ice cream, it must be one of the ingredients. I had too much of it in my younger years. I'm on the fence myself, but it's cheap and good for the brain. But cooking it, I absolutely don't tolerate the smell of eggs. I think it's partly or quite likely something to do with my autoimmune condition and medications I am on. I also had too much and I have a tendency to switch or stop after a whille as my immune system starts to reject it. Someone else commented something similar.

[mdr1000]

I usually take 'recommended guidelines' in foods to mean things like, 'we have lots of eggs, eat as many as you like, they're good for you' or 'there's a shortage of eggs but too many are bad for you anyway.'

I think the same has been done to bananas in the past.

[BadHare]

Opt for organic, as fatty foods tend to contain a lot of nasty chemicals, & also free range.

theguardian.com/lifeandstyl...

[gbn_]

Hello. I have just read this topic. The cholesterol "scare" about eggs is probably nothing but a scare, but the way it's been changed over the years, don't be surprised if it doesn't change again. However, there is one thing I read on another post somewhere, something about the choline content being bad for guys with possible prostate issues. Just when you thought everything was ok,at least for the time being, you read something like this, I still eat eggs, as I am an "aging" bodybuilder, it's terrific protein!!

[andyswarbs]

It is true that the cholesterol story is more complex, but the story remains solid that eggs are bad for you. Yes the newspapers were flooded with "latest research" showing eggs are good for you. That will always be the case because these are egg industry funded studies - and they want to sell you more eggs!

I can provide anecdotes about people who do not eat eggs who live long and healthy lives, but anecdotes prove so very little. They SHOW that something is POSSIBLE and litte more. They do not prove whether something is inherently healthy or not. What shows that are research studies, hopefully over many decades by highly qualified researchers coming at the subject for different purposes.

Let me give you a paper from 2009. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/190... entitled "Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women." This is a study of around 50,000 people over 10 years. The study design is much more relevant than egg industry studes because it compares people who eat eggs vs those who do not.

Which is of course a much better comparison than eating 3 eggs vs 4 eggs, which is the kind of study the egg industry has been caught red-handed desiging & funding. If interested check out ftc.gov/sites/default/files...

[Kay_Lee]

Having watched folks over knives and what the health, I am even more confused about eating eggs! They sugggest they are really bad for you but them the GP told me just last week to give my 12 year old eggs as they are slow releasing and will help him with migraines. There is such confusion advice. I guess in the end you can only read it, digest and then decide what’s best for your own body.

[Penel in reply to Kay_Lee]

The advice that eggs are bad for you is now considered out of date. If you’re eating a really lousy diet of high fat, ultrprocessed foods, and no veg, then eggs won’t be a good idea. But even the British Heart Foundation has altered its advice.

Unfortunately some people are allergic to eggs, but they have been eaten by people for thousands of years because they are a very nutritious food.

Sorry to hear that your son is suffering from migraines. Is there any chance your son may have a problem with wheat?

[Kay_Lee in reply to Penel]

Thanks for the reply, I don’t know I hadn’t thought of that before. Are you aware of a link between migration and wheat ?

[Penel in reply to Kay_Lee]

Migraines are very complex, not everyone has food as a trigger, but there have been studies into the apparent links between various gastrointestinal disorders and migraines. Wheat/gluten seems to be one of the possible triggers for some people.

There is ongoing research into the links between the gut and brain, including the role of healthy gut bacteria on brain function.

[Kay_Lee in reply to Penel]

Thank you, I will have a dig around and do a bit of research

[Penel in reply to Kay_Lee]

Perhaps try Pubmed to start with.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Also have a look into possible problems with foods containing histamine or arginine.

[Rignold Keto]

I eat 5 eggs a day on average, sometimes 3 whole eggs and the rest in egg whites depending on how my macros stack up for the day.

[andyswarbs]

I have started a new thread "Can you say eggs are good for you" on this subject, reflecting coverage of a 2018 study that got a headline that said eggs can prevent CVD healthunlocked.com/healthye...