Research Says Eggs Are Not Evil
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.
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 should not be considered a “dietary evil.”
Whole Eggs Have “Super-Food” Qualities
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.
Although whole eggs appear to have been exonerated, it still may not be wise to suggest that anyone can eat eggs in unlimited quantities, for both health and body composition reasons.
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.
Unlimited egg consumption is 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 And Fat Loss
Whole eggs are not low calorie foods – they’re fairly 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.
However, In all my years of training and consulting, even back in the late 1980’s, and 1990’s I’ve never thrown away all my yolks.
My menu plans typically contain one or two whole eggs with 8-12 egg whites. I know that’s a lot, but that’s a man-sized bodybuilder meal. For non-bodybuilders or people with lower calorie needs, it might be one whole egg and 3-6 whites.
Why do I do this? Because this provides the high protein without so many calories.
Take a look at this egg white – egg yolk comparison:
- 3 whole large eggs: 225 calories, 18.9 g protein, 15 g fat
- 8 egg whites & 1 whole egg: 211 calories, 34.3 g protein, 5 g fat
Do you see what was accomplished here? I didn’t remove egg yolks because I’m afraid of cholesterol. I removed most of the egg yolks because I was on a calorie budget and I was on a higher protein diet and I wanted more protein with fewer calories. Make sense?
Another reason that bodybuilders use liquid egg whites so often is for convenience. They can pour them from the carton right into the fry pan and they don’t have to do all that shell cracking and egg white separating.
Whole Eggs – “Better Than Steroids?”
When I started bodybuilding as a teenager, I latched onto the teachings of a bodybuilding guru trainer from North Hollywood named Vince Gironda.
He was also the Trainer of bodybuilding champions such as Larry Scott, the First Mr. Olympia, and believe it or not, he was Arnold’s first trainer when Joe Weider sent the budding young star to America from Austria.
Gironda had been saying from day one (back in the 1950’s and 1960’s) that the whole egg was “nature’s perfect food” and he compared them to “natural steroids.”
I didn’t really understand what a ketogenic diet was at the time, but being an obedient, guru-following teenage bodybuilder, desperate for muscle, I did what he said. I ate up to 3 dozen whole eggs a day for months on end.
One thing I did notice is that I DID NOT LOSE FAT like Gironda said I would.
Gironda, like many other low carb gurus, did not place any restrictions on calories, only on foods. Gironda was a genius, years ahead of his time, but this was the flaw in his program. Even on low carb diets, you STILL need a caloric deficit to lose body fat.
To this day, I still keep one or two yolks in my omelettes and scrambles… sometimes more, as long as it fits in my calorie budget.
Get crackin!
Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
P.S. One last thing. Keep in mind that the quality of the egg is only as good as the quality of the bird it came from. This is why many health experts recommend free range eggs and/or omega-3 eggs.
P.P.S. For more information about fat burning nutrition, visit: www.BurnTheFat.com
About the Author:
I personally think that whole eggs are much more nutritious than the whites. I am into a routine of having two eggs a day and there are no weight or any other issues. In fact I love them in my diet.
Right on. Yolk is where its at. I love eggs.
I love your site as well as eating eggs. You can cook it with a lot of ways and add it on to different foods.
Josh
http://coolbusinessideasinfo.com/
I use to limit my intake of egg base food. However, I read a recent study that says one egg a day is good for your health.
Thanks for clarifying this whole egg yolk vs egg white issue. I’ve also been believing that no egg yolk = healthier. It’s been a while that I haven’t eaten egg yolk, so this’ll change things.
Looks like my sister had been wrong all this time. And to think she made me throw all those egg yolks down the kitchen sink, I feel really silly for doing that now.