Food Facts

Eggs—are they bad for you due to cholesterol?

According to the May/June ’13 Well Being Journal, researcher Nora Gedgaudas found that “historically, the human diet has always contained significant amounts of cholesterol. Restricting or eliminating its intake indicates a crisis or famine to the body. The result is the production of a liver enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, which, in effect, then overproduces cholesterol from carbohydrates in the diet.”

In other words, reducing cholesterol in favor of carbs in your diet skyrockets your blood cholesterol. Unfortunately, that’s what the government’s food pyramid has been telling us to do for decades. Yikes. No wonder heart disease, obesity and diabetes are out of control.

Now, to be fair, some folks can be cholesterol overproducers, so you should check with your doctor to make sure you’re “egg tolerant.” Most, however, have no problem with them. In fact, eggs keep you healthier and burning off more blubber.

Still not convinced? Here’s a statement from the Harvard School of Public Health: “Recent research has shown that moderate egg consumption—up to one a day—does not increase heart disease risk in healthy individuals and can be part of a healthy diet.” (JAMA, 281:1387-94; Nutr Metab Care, 9:8-12)

One warning: It’s not a good idea to put raw eggs in your protein smoothies. You can get salmonella. Always cook your eggs. (Sorry, Rocky Balboa, raw eggs are risky.)

Having cooked eggs for breakfast can keep you on the fast-burning fast track.

—Becky Holman

www.OldSchoolNewBody.com