turns out, eggs are bad.

[mominatrix]

reminding me of Lewis Black's bit about eating right... eggs are good, eggs are bad, eggs are good but only the whites, the yolks are bad... no, they're good... arrrgh!

=====================
Egg Yolk Consumption Almost as Bad as Smoking When It Comes to Atherosclerosis, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (Aug. 13, 2012) — Newly published research led by Western's Dr. David Spence shows that eating egg yolks accelerates atherosclerosis in a manner similar to smoking cigarettes.

Surveying more than 1200 patients, Spence found regular consumption of egg yolks is about two-thirds as bad as smoking when it comes to increased build-up of carotid plaque, a risk factor for stroke and heart attack. The research is published online in the journal Atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis, also called coronary artery disease, is a disorder of the arteries where plaques, aggravated by cholesterol, form on the inner arterial wall. Plaque rupture is the usual cause of most heart attacks and many strokes.

The study looked at data from 1,231 men and women, with a mean age of 61.5, who were patients attending vascular prevention clinics at London Health Sciences Centre's University Hospital. Ultrasound was used to establish a measurement of total plaque area and questionnaires were filled out regarding their lifestyle and medications including pack-years of smoking (number of packs per day of cigarettes times the number of years), and the number of egg yolks consumed per week times the number of years consumed (egg yolk-years).

The researchers found carotid plaque area increased linearly with age after age 40, but increased exponentially with pack-years of smoking and egg yolk-years. In other words, compared to age, both tobacco smoking and egg yolk consumption accelerate atherosclerosis. The study also found those eating three or more yolks a week had significantly more plaque area than those who ate two or fewer yolks per week.

"The mantra 'eggs can be part of a healthy diet for healthy people' has confused the issue. It has been known for a long time that a high cholesterol intake increases the risk of cardiovascular events, and egg yolks have a very high cholesterol content. In diabetics, an egg a day increases coronary risk by two to five-fold," said Spence, a professor of Neurology at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and the director of its Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis Research Centre at the Robarts Research Institute.

"What we have shown is that with aging, plaque builds up gradually in the arteries of Canadians, and egg yolks make it build up faster -- about two-thirds as much as smoking. In the long haul, egg yolks are not okay for most Canadians."

Spence added the effect of egg yolk consumption over time on increasing the amount of plaque in the arteries was independent of sex, cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, body mass index and diabetes. And while he says more research should be done to take in possible confounders such as exercise and waist circumference, he stresses that regular consumption of egg yolk should be avoided by persons at risk of cardiovascular disease.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120813155640.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+sciencedaily/top_news/top_science+(ScienceDaily:+Top+News+--+Top+Science)

[marie427]

Ugh. So what are the chances that egg yolks are bad only for Canadian hearts but not for American hearts?

Sincerely,
The American lady who eats 2 hard-boiled whole eggs for breakfast every day

[IIOY]

Aug 14, 2012 17:29:34 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

reminding me of Lewis Black's bit about eating right... eggs are good, eggs are bad, eggs are good but only the whites, the yolks are bad... no, they're good... arrrgh!

Yeah, I'm not prepared to jump ship just yet, for just this reason.

[taratru]

No one ever says the whites are bad, so I'm glad I only like the whites anyway.

[mmmomof2]

There are hardly any nutrients in the whites though. The yolks have a lot of vitamins and minerals. The whites are pretty much pure protein. And tasteless.

So how do they test for plaque besides ultrasound? Does the bloodwork (HDL, LDL, Triglycerides) measure this buildup some how? I'm probably a heavy egg yolk eater (and bacon!) and my numbers are all stellar. Of course I'm only 33, so maybe in 10 years my arteries will have narrowed by then.

[IIOY]

Aug 14, 2012 17:32:38 GMT -5 marie427 said:

Ugh. So what are the chances that egg yolks are bad only for Canadian hearts but not for American hearts?

Sincerely,
The American lady who eats 2 hard-boiled whole eggs for breakfast every day

LOL. I eat two or three eggs every single morning. I'd be gnawing my arm off by 10am if I didn't.

[ringstrue]

Ok yes, but it didn't control for total diet. Eating cholesterol CAN raise your cholesterol if you are eating in a way that your body can't / won't process it - aka full of animal fats that gunk up your blood and carbs that slow metabolism.

What I'm really waiting for is a bunch of olive oil/ spinach / lean meat / low carb eating, normal weight people to get bad cholesterol- then you can tell me the smoking gun is only the eggs.

[msmerymac]

But the yolks are so delicious! Especially runny yolks! :-(

[IIOY]

Aug 14, 2012 17:49:46 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

Ok yes, but it didn't control for total diet. Eating cholesterol CAN raise your cholesterol if you are eating in a way that your body can't / won't process it - aka full of animal fats that gunk up your blood and carbs that slow metabolism.

What I'm really waiting for is a bunch of olive oil/ spinach / lean meat / low carb eating, normal weight people to get bad cholesterol- then you can tell me the smoking gun is only the eggs.

I haven't looked this up in ages, but IIRC, the majority of people who suffer cardiovascular events actually have "normal" cholesterol.

[emilyj]

What else are these study participants eating besides eggs? Because I'd like to see their whole diet in concert with their egg consumption before I give merit to this.

It won't matter for me. Yolks make me sick so I'm destined to be a whites only girl forever. And I think whites only can be delicious with the right seasonings.

[aw]

Not all eggs are the same. There is a huge difference between the nutrition in an egg that comes from a bird sitting in a cage all day long, pumped full of junk, and fed nasty nutritionally void feed and a bird that is allowed to feed on pasture. Pastured eggs (truly pastured - the ones that eat bugs, not the ones that say cage-free and are sold in most grocery stores) have 1/3 the cholesterol, 1/4 the saturated fat, 2/3 more Vitamin A, twice the omega-3s, 3 times the Vitamin E, and up to seven times more beta carotene. It's just the same as it is with things like pastured beef.

[darnkatz]

Aug 14, 2012 17:58:17 GMT -5 aw said:

Not all eggs are the same. There is a huge difference between the nutrition in an egg that comes from a bird sitting in a cage all day long, pumped full of junk, and fed nasty nutritionally void feed and a bird that is allowed to feed on pasture. Pastured eggs (truly pastured - the ones that eat bugs, not the ones that say cage-free and are sold in most grocery stores) have 1/3 the cholesterol, 1/4 the saturated fat, 2/3 more Vitamin A, twice the omega-3s, 3 times the Vitamin E, and up to seven times more beta carotene. It's just the same as it is with things like pastured beef.

Mmhmm.

You can try to pry the eggs out of my hands, but I doubt you will be successful. I love eggs. Even more so when I'm knocked up. They make me feel awesome.

[aw]

Aug 14, 2012 18:04:04 GMT -5 darnkatz said:

Aug 14, 2012 17:58:17 GMT -5 aw said:

Not all eggs are the same. There is a huge difference between the nutrition in an egg that comes from a bird sitting in a cage all day long, pumped full of junk, and fed nasty nutritionally void feed and a bird that is allowed to feed on pasture. Pastured eggs (truly pastured - the ones that eat bugs, not the ones that say cage-free and are sold in most grocery stores) have 1/3 the cholesterol, 1/4 the saturated fat, 2/3 more Vitamin A, twice the omega-3s, 3 times the Vitamin E, and up to seven times more beta carotene. It's just the same as it is with things like pastured beef.

Mmhmm.

You can try to pry the eggs out of my hands, but I doubt you will be successful. I love eggs. Even more so when I'm knocked up. They make me feel awesome.

If it makes you feel better, my midwives require me to eat at least two eggs each day. They think the fat is beneficial for the baby. Unfortunately, I lose my appetite for eggs during pregnancy. I have to force them down right now, but when I'm not pregnant I could seriously eat 3-4 each morning for breakfast. My family goes through almost a dozen each morning

[teflep]

Aug 14, 2012 18:04:04 GMT -5 darnkatz said:

Aug 14, 2012 17:58:17 GMT -5 aw said:

Not all eggs are the same. There is a huge difference between the nutrition in an egg that comes from a bird sitting in a cage all day long, pumped full of junk, and fed nasty nutritionally void feed and a bird that is allowed to feed on pasture. Pastured eggs (truly pastured - the ones that eat bugs, not the ones that say cage-free and are sold in most grocery stores) have 1/3 the cholesterol, 1/4 the saturated fat, 2/3 more Vitamin A, twice the omega-3s, 3 times the Vitamin E, and up to seven times more beta carotene. It's just the same as it is with things like pastured beef.

Mmhmm.

You can try to pry the eggs out of my hands, but I doubt you will be successful. I love eggs. Even more so when I'm knocked up. They make me feel awesome.

Screech...is this an announcement snuck in?!!

[msmerymac]

Aug 14, 2012 17:58:17 GMT -5 aw said:

Not all eggs are the same. There is a huge difference between the nutrition in an egg that comes from a bird sitting in a cage all day long, pumped full of junk, and fed nasty nutritionally void feed and a bird that is allowed to feed on pasture. Pastured eggs (truly pastured - the ones that eat bugs, not the ones that say cage-free and are sold in most grocery stores) have 1/3 the cholesterol, 1/4 the saturated fat, 2/3 more Vitamin A, twice the omega-3s, 3 times the Vitamin E, and up to seven times more beta carotene. It's just the same as it is with things like pastured beef.

I'm not doubting that pastured eggs are better (that's why I buy them from local growers at the farmer's market whom I can talk with about their farming practices), but eggs are still eggs. They will never be celery.

I know you were involved in the conversation about the study about people who eat red meat 3+ times per week. Yes, not eating antibiotics and hormones is better than... eating antibiotics and hormones. But meat is meat is meat. You can make all the ingredients for a Big Mac from scratch at home and end up with a delicious, homemade Big Mac. Which is still a cheeseburger.

[Nonny]

The only study I care about is the study of what my taste buds find to be tasty.
Eggs are tasty.
I will keep eating them.

Actually, I can't think of anything I've stopped eating due to any of these studies, except for transfats in junk foods, but that is because junk food manufacturers took them out not because I started actively avoiding them.

[copzgirl1171]

I told you so!! They taste bad because they are bad

[SusanBAnthony]

So if high cholesterol is not linked to cardiac events, then why is it bad?

DH had a total cholesterol of 280, and in the last 6 months has lost about 15 lbs, exercised daily, and significantly reduced his animal product intake. His numbers dropped to 226. He was able to accomplish this mostly be he is terriefied on being one statins for the rest of his life.

[aw]

Aug 14, 2012 19:05:06 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

Aug 14, 2012 17:58:17 GMT -5 aw said:

Not all eggs are the same. There is a huge difference between the nutrition in an egg that comes from a bird sitting in a cage all day long, pumped full of junk, and fed nasty nutritionally void feed and a bird that is allowed to feed on pasture. Pastured eggs (truly pastured - the ones that eat bugs, not the ones that say cage-free and are sold in most grocery stores) have 1/3 the cholesterol, 1/4 the saturated fat, 2/3 more Vitamin A, twice the omega-3s, 3 times the Vitamin E, and up to seven times more beta carotene. It's just the same as it is with things like pastured beef.

I'm not doubting that pastured eggs are better (that's why I buy them from local growers at the farmer's market whom I can talk with about their farming practices), but eggs are still eggs. They will never be celery.

I know you were involved in the conversation about the study about people who eat red meat 3+ times per week. Yes, not eating antibiotics and hormones is better than... eating antibiotics and hormones. But meat is meat is meat. You can make all the ingredients for a Big Mac from scratch at home and end up with a delicious, homemade Big Mac. Which is still a cheeseburger.

Yes, but did you read the difference in nutrition. 1/2 the cholesterol and 1/4 the saturated fat. Pastured foods have less cholesterol and fat. So, a cheeseburger may be a cheeseburger, but a pastured cheeseburger may have the same amount of cholesterol as your grilled chicken breast and the same amount of omega-3s as your grilled salmon. So, not all cheeseburgers are the same.

[darnkatz]

Aug 14, 2012 18:52:43 GMT -5 teflep said:

Aug 14, 2012 18:04:04 GMT -5 darnkatz said:

Mmhmm.

You can try to pry the eggs out of my hands, but I doubt you will be successful. I love eggs. Even more so when I'm knocked up. They make me feel awesome.

Screech...is this an announcement snuck in?!!

I snuck it in last week in a post about apples! I had an appleseed photo in my siggy. Stealthy, huh? About 6 weeks along now!

AW, I've been craving eggs like mad. With bacon. Glad your midwife agrees with me A dozen a day isn't that crazy with five people eating them, especially when one of those people is pregnant!

[teflep]

Aug 14, 2012 20:06:48 GMT -5 darnkatz said:

Aug 14, 2012 18:52:43 GMT -5 teflep said:

Screech...is this an announcement snuck in?!!

I snuck it in last week in a post about apples! I had an appleseed photo in my siggy. Stealthy, huh? About 6 weeks along now!

AW, I've been craving eggs like mad. With bacon. Glad your midwife agrees with me A dozen a day isn't that crazy with five people eating them, especially when one of those people is pregnant!

I can't see siggies! Congratulations!

[aw]

Aug 14, 2012 20:06:48 GMT -5 darnkatz said:

AW, I've been craving eggs like mad. With bacon. Glad your midwife agrees with me A dozen a day isn't that crazy with five people eating them, especially when one of those people is pregnant!

+o( Bacon has been my top food aversion this pregnancy, which is strange because I normally LOVE it and crave it like crazy.

Are you doing bacon without added nitrates? That's another thing my MWs are strict about.

[darnkatz]

Aug 14, 2012 20:09:56 GMT -5 aw said:

Aug 14, 2012 20:06:48 GMT -5 darnkatz said:

AW, I've been craving eggs like mad. With bacon. Glad your midwife agrees with me A dozen a day isn't that crazy with five people eating them, especially when one of those people is pregnant!

Bacon has been my top food aversion this pregnancy, which is strange because I normally LOVE it and crave it like crazy.

Are you doing bacon without added nitrates? That's another thing my MWs are strict about.

Yep! It's from a local farm, too. Words cannot describe how much I love bacon.

Thanks Tef!

[eclaires]

When I was pregnant with Sassy - and had GD - the GD specialist at the high risk OB office told me that eggs were perfect for me to eat and I should eat 2 per day. She also specifically told me not to worry about the cholesterol/eggs.

[lyssbobiss, Command, B613]

Ah, Lewis Black! It's breakfast, I gotta eat!

Which reminds me, I saw a Chase Bank Building across the street from a Chase Bank Building (I posted about it on fb, I know). And I was totally reminded of his "Starbucks across from a Starbucks" bit and I thought "Game over."

[heliocentric]

I prefer to risk a heart attack rather than give up eggs. I love them.

[pinkeggs]

Congrats Kel!

[emilyj]

Aug 14, 2012 19:25:53 GMT -5 aw said:

Aug 14, 2012 19:05:06 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

I'm not doubting that pastured eggs are better (that's why I buy them from local growers at the farmer's market whom I can talk with about their farming practices), but eggs are still eggs. They will never be celery.

I know you were involved in the conversation about the study about people who eat red meat 3+ times per week. Yes, not eating antibiotics and hormones is better than... eating antibiotics and hormones. But meat is meat is meat. You can make all the ingredients for a Big Mac from scratch at home and end up with a delicious, homemade Big Mac. Which is still a cheeseburger.

Yes, but did you read the difference in nutrition. 1/2 the cholesterol and 1/4 the saturated fat. Pastured foods have less cholesterol and fat. So, a cheeseburger may be a cheeseburger, but a pastured cheeseburger may have the same amount of cholesterol as your grilled chicken breast and the same amount of omega-3s as your grilled salmon. So, not all cheeseburgers are the same.

I agree with aw on this one. My nutritionist is fine with me occasionally eating red meat as long as I eat grass fed beef because of the difference in saturated fat levels - so even though meat may seem like meat, there are differences here. I think it's kind of like the difference between white and brown rice - they're both rice, but each is going to have a different nutritional make up.

[Deleted]

Aug 14, 2012 17:55:32 GMT -5 IIOY said:

Aug 14, 2012 17:49:46 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

Ok yes, but it didn't control for total diet. Eating cholesterol CAN raise your cholesterol if you are eating in a way that your body can't / won't process it - aka full of animal fats that gunk up your blood and carbs that slow metabolism.

What I'm really waiting for is a bunch of olive oil/ spinach / lean meat / low carb eating, normal weight people to get bad cholesterol- then you can tell me the smoking gun is only the eggs.

I haven't looked this up in ages, but IIRC, the majority of people who suffer cardiovascular events actually have "normal" cholesterol.

Are those people whose cholesterol is lowered by statins or naturally low?

I believe statins haven't been shown to definitively lower risk of death, just lower cholesterol. I don't know where I heard that, so feel free to be suspicious;)

[SusanBAnthony]

Aug 15, 2012 6:43:30 GMT -5 @kcpokergal said:

Aug 14, 2012 17:55:32 GMT -5 IIOY said:

I haven't looked this up in ages, but IIRC, the majority of people who suffer cardiovascular events actually have "normal" cholesterol.

Are those people whose cholesterol is lowered by statins or naturally low?

I believe statins haven't been shown to definitively lower risk of death, just lower cholesterol. I don't know where I heard that, so feel free to be suspicious;)

According to DH who has done a ton of research on this, statins do not extend your lifespan. You might die of something else, such as complications from being on statins for decades, but overall you will not live longer than if you just left your cholesterol high and didn't take them.