Do you eat a lot of eggs?

[Playitsafe]

If you eat a lot of eggs, I'm curious to know if you've had blood work done and if your LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol were negatively affected. I was tested 3.5 years ago and my HDL was a bit low, and LDL was a bit high. Didn't get a total cholesterol count at that time.

Now I was just tested a couple weeks ago, and my HDL was higher, putting it into normal range, and my LDL went up, and total was higher than normal. I eat 2 hard boiled eggs each morning because they're said to be packed with nutrients and they have protein. But the news about eggs keeps changing from good to bad to good to bad. I also commonly read that 4 eggs per week is safe, while I'm downing 14 per week, so I'm starting to rethink what I'm doing and wanted to find out what others here are doing and what your results are.

[LukeEverhart]

If you eat a lot of eggs, I'm curious to know if you've had blood work done and if your LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol were negatively affected. I was tested 3.5 years ago and my HDL was a bit low, and LDL was a bit high. Didn't get a total cholesterol count at that time.

Now I was just tested a couple weeks ago, and my HDL was higher, putting it into normal range, and my LDL went up, and total was higher than normal. I eat 2 hard boiled eggs each morning because they're said to be packed with nutrients and they have protein. But the news about eggs keeps changing from good to bad to good to bad. I also commonly read that 4 eggs per week is safe, while I'm downing 14 per week, so I'm starting to rethink what I'm doing and wanted to find out what others here are doing and what your results are.

The lipid hypothesis of coronary disease, w/spec emphasis on atherosclerosis, is no longer conventional wisdom among cardiologists nor is the derivative use of LDL as a surrogate marker.
some arbitrary references if interested:
Ravnskov U. The questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998; 51:443-460
Hooper L, Summerbell CD, Higgins JPT, Thompson R, Capps NE, Davey Smith G, et al. Dietary fat intake and prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review. BMJ (The British Medical Journal) 2001;322:757-763
A Reappraisal of the Lipid Hypothesis, The American Journal of Medicine, September 2018Volume 131, Issue 9 (link below)
https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002...404-2/fulltext

So why does it persist? Because lipid regulators (statins) are the most prescribed category of drugs in the U.S., exceeding even analgesics (pain killers) and antidepressants.

Anyway, eggs are a terrific food for a host of health & fitness reasons, so enjoy.

[Playitsafe]

The lipid hypothesis of coronary disease, w/spec emphasis on atherosclerosis, is no longer conventional wisdom among cardiologists nor is the derivative use of LDL as a surrogate marker.
some arbitrary references if interested:
Ravnskov U. The questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998; 51:443-460
Hooper L, Summerbell CD, Higgins JPT, Thompson R, Capps NE, Davey Smith G, et al. Dietary fat intake and prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review. BMJ (The British Medical Journal) 2001;322:757-763
A Reappraisal of the Lipid Hypothesis, The American Journal of Medicine, September 2018Volume 131, Issue 9 (link below)
https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002...404-2/fulltext

So why does it persist? Because lipid regulators (statins) are the most prescribed category of drugs in the U.S., exceeding even analgesics (pain killers) and antidepressants.

Anyway, eggs are a terrific food for a host of health & fitness reasons, so enjoy.

Thanks! This is good news for eggs, but puts everything I've heard and researched into question.
Is there any source that tells us what's good or bad for us that isn't tainted by the pharmaceutical industry? I've been doing research online for quite awhile and it's hard to tell what's true and what isn't. Antioxidants were supposed to be great, and now I've been reading they can actually be harmful. Now cholesterol measurements are being changed. Is there a source of truth about these things online?

[AdamWW]

The lipid hypothesis of coronary disease, w/spec emphasis on atherosclerosis, is no longer conventional wisdom among cardiologists nor is the derivative use of LDL as a surrogate marker.
some arbitrary references if interested:
Ravnskov U. The questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998; 51:443-460
Hooper L, Summerbell CD, Higgins JPT, Thompson R, Capps NE, Davey Smith G, et al. Dietary fat intake and prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review. BMJ (The British Medical Journal) 2001;322:757-763
A Reappraisal of the Lipid Hypothesis, The American Journal of Medicine, September 2018Volume 131, Issue 9 (link below)
https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002...404-2/fulltext

So why does it persist? Because lipid regulators (statins) are the most prescribed category of drugs in the U.S., exceeding even analgesics (pain killers) and antidepressants.

Anyway, eggs are a terrific food for a host of health & fitness reasons, so enjoy.

I'm afraid that isn't the case... LDL is absolutely a risk factor for heart disease.

However, people do have individual responses to dietary cholesterol, some people seem to be able to into large amounts with little to no impact on serum markers, while others are highly sensitive and respond with rapidly rising serum levels.

Best way to know: check your blood... before and after...

[LukeEverhart]

I'm afraid that isn't the case... LDL is absolutely a risk factor for heart disease.

Personally I find the slew of rather extensive meta-analyses published in both British and American medical journals (1 such meta analysis linked upthread) very persuasive and compelling but it is indeed still being played out in the cardiology and epidemiology medical communities so I can certainly respect differing conclusions.

[Redfish225]

See sig.

My yearly panel is always on point.

[LactoseTolerant]

So why does it persist? Because lipid regulators (statins) are the most prescribed category of drugs in the U.S., exceeding even analgesics (pain killers) and antidepressants.

I don't think you understand how much inertia there is in healthcare. I was involved in a consensus process where, if the proposed change was made, industry would stand to make a lot of money. There was near unanimity and it still took over a decade to change the standard. No one wanted to be first to have his/her name attached.

[desslok]

You mean a lot, as in 5 dozen? No, i like to play it safe.

[1MANU]

6 whole eggs every morning....15 years and counting. Lipid profiles always WNL.

[MrCarrot]

I used to eat a dozen a day. I made a post about it on this site years and years ago. I went to the doctors to get my cholesterol checked out and it was fine.

These days I tend to have 3 or 4 just on days that I feel like having them.

[Playitsafe]

See sig.

My yearly panel is always on point.

6 whole eggs every morning....15 years and counting. Lipid profiles always WNL.

I used to eat a dozen a day. I made a post about it on this site years and years ago. I went to the doctors to get my cholesterol checked out and it was fine.

These days I tend to have 3 or 4 just on days that I feel like having them.

Thank you, guys! This is the practical information I was looking for. I've been eating 2 a day, so I won't be concerned about it. My LDL levels were a little high (155), so I've been looking into ways to get it back down. It doesn't sound like eggs are contributing to it. Hey, maybe I should be eating more of them!

[AdamWW]

Thank you, guys! This is the practical information I was looking for. I've been eating 2 a day, so I won't be concerned about it. My LDL levels were a little high (155), so I've been looking into ways to get it back down. It doesn't sound like eggs are contributing to it. Hey, maybe I should be eating more of them!

You won't know if they do contribute until you stop eating them for a bit and get your blood tested. Don't go by OTHER people's bodies.... everyone has a genetic propensity for maintaining their lipid levels, some are more fortunate than others.

[sooby]

You won't know if they do contribute until you stop eating them for a bit and get your blood tested. Don't go by OTHER people's bodies.... everyone has a genetic propensity for maintaining their lipid levels, some are more fortunate than others.

agreed here, evidence seems to be a bit conflicting, but at the very least we know that dietary cholesterol doesn't necessarily increase cholesterol in the human body and that what leads to high cholesterol is more complex then what was once thought and isn't as simple as "don't eat this, don't eat that, or limit saturated fats". And that the limit of 2 eggs per week that was recommended in the past is pretty ridiculous from what we now know.

There was even a guy who ate nothing but twinkies and protein shakes and all his blood markers went down, lol. Now this isn't definitive proof of anything but it does show us that there are other factors at play here.

It seems to be individual, get your blood work done is the only way of really knowing. If it's fine, then keep consuming your eggs as normal. If it's not, try limiting your egg consumption and take a blood test at some later point in time. Some people almost no matter what are prone to heart disease and a lot of it has to do with the genetic cards you were dealt.

[LukeEverhart]

There was even a guy who ate nothing but twinkies and protein shakes and all his blood markers went down, lol. Now this isn't definitive proof of anything but it does show us that there are other factors at play here.

Yeah, Kansas State University professor of human nutrition, Mark Haub. The infamous "Twinkie Diet". He lost 27 pounds in 10 weeks, a 9% reduction in bodyfat, with virtually no lose of lbm and with improvements on all the usual cardiac biomarkers (LDL, HDL, triglycerides, blood pressure). It was essentially an 1800-ish calorie per day junk food sweets (twinkies, ding dongs, etc) diet with 1 whey protein drink a day, and a can of green beans (for volume satiety) a day (along with a multivitamin).

[AdamWW]

Similar variations in responses exist for sodium. Some people eat salt and their BP skyrockets... others have zero impact.

Always best to test your blood.

[AdamWW]

Yeah, Kansas State University professor of human nutrition, Mark Haub. The infamous "Twinkie Diet". He lost 27 pounds in 10 weeks, a 9% reduction in bodyfat, with virtually no lose of lbm and with improvements on all the usual cardiac biomarkers (LDL, HDL, triglycerides, blood pressure). It was essentially an 1800-ish calorie per day junk food sweets (twinkies, ding dongs, etc) diet with 1 whey protein drink a day, and a can of green beans (for volume satiety) a day (along with a multivitamin).

Anytime you lose weight, you'll see lower lipids pretty much. No as relevant for people who are active and not dieting down actively.

[HannoCometh]

Not really a great fan of eggs. Even when I ate them for a week and a bit, was a struggle. Good nutritional content, but I'd always pick other foods over it. Good source of Lysine and Arginine though - and of course B vitamins etc

[AdamWW]

Not really a great fan of eggs. Even when I ate them for a week and a bit, was a struggle. Good nutritional content, but I'd always pick other foods over it. Good source of Lysine and Arginine though - and of course B vitamins etc

Ever tried them on toast with hot sauce?

[macabresalad]

If you eat a lot of eggs, I'm curious to know if you've had blood work done and if your LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol were negatively affected. I was tested 3.5 years ago and my HDL was a bit low, and LDL was a bit high. Didn't get a total cholesterol count at that time.

Now I was just tested a couple weeks ago, and my HDL was higher, putting it into normal range, and my LDL went up, and total was higher than normal. I eat 2 hard boiled eggs each morning because they're said to be packed with nutrients and they have protein. But the news about eggs keeps changing from good to bad to good to bad. I also commonly read that 4 eggs per week is safe, while I'm downing 14 per week, so I'm starting to rethink what I'm doing and wanted to find out what others here are doing and what your results are.

november 2017:

HDL 39
LDL 26
non-hdl cholesterol 56

i rarely ever ate eggs back then. i was morbidly obese, binge eater, yadda yadda.

june 2019:

HDL 86
LDL 85
non-hdl cholesterol 97

i eat 3-6 eggs a day now, the rest of my diet is largely meat and vegetables, i weigh my food, track calories (20% deficit) and am down to 180lb from 400+, body fat somewhere between 15% and 25% at this point

ymmv but this is the change i see in my records

[AdamWW]

november 2017:

HDL 39
LDL 26
non-hdl cholesterol 56

i rarely ever ate eggs back then. i was morbidly obese, binge eater, yadda yadda.

june 2019:

HDL 86
LDL 85
non-hdl cholesterol 97

i eat 3-6 eggs a day now, the rest of my diet is largely meat and vegetables, i weigh my food, track calories (20% deficit) and am down to 180lb from 400+, body fat somewhere between 15% and 25% at this point

ymmv but this is the change i see in my records

You’re saying that when you were obese and eating less eggs, your lipids were lower? I’m confused... also those HDL and LDL numbers are a bit hard to fathom... what unit is that in?

[macabresalad]

You’re saying that when you were obese and eating less eggs, your lipids were lower? I’m confused... also those HDL and LDL numbers are a bit hard to fathom... what unit is that in?

mg/DL

and yeah, kinda surprising to me too

[faithbrah]

i eat about 40 eggs per week but i haven't had my blood checked in ages

[Mrpb]

I had relatively high LDL-C. I stopped eating eggs, my LDL-C dropped significantly (iirc ~10-15%). I'm probably a hyper responder.

Personally I find the slew of rather extensive meta-analyses published in both British and American medical journals (1 such meta analysis linked upthread) very persuasive and compelling.

Your citations are rather selective. Ravnskov has been publishing similar claims every year under a new title.

Suggested reading: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5837225/

And for Hooper, one of the sources you cited, here's later work: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26068959

Now I was just tested a couple weeks ago, and my HDL was higher, putting it into normal range, and my LDL went up, and total was higher than normal. I eat 2 hard boiled eggs each morning because they're said to be packed with nutrients and they have protein. But the news about eggs keeps changing from good to bad to good to bad. I also commonly read that 4 eggs per week is safe, while I'm downing 14 per week, so I'm starting to rethink what I'm doing and wanted to find out what others here are doing and what your results are.

High LDL-C is a risk factor for CVD. Don't be fooled. Try lowering your egg intake and replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats if you care about having the lowest CVD risk. Get tested again. HDL isn't that interesting.

[T3mp]

We are talking about egg yolk specifically that raise the risk of CVD. Let's clarify it.

[AdamWW]

We are talking about egg yolk specifically that raise the risk of CVD. Let's clarify it.

If you eat an egg, it's going to have a yolk. When people reference egg WHITES, they say it by name... I don't think we need to clarify that.

[T3mp]

If you eat an egg, it's going to have a yolk. When people reference egg WHITES, they say it by name... I don't think we need to clarify that.

First of all that was an addition to the thread that would not do any harm. So, I don't understand why you answered in that way.

Well, imagine this scenario.
1. A new guy/girl to nutrition comes to this forum to search for information.
2. Sees that eggs are bad to some people and then proceeds to stop eating them as a whole.

So, if there is a clarification of what part of egg is bad, continues to eat the white and restrict the consumption of the yolk.

[AdamWW]

First of all that was an addition to the thread that would not do any harm. So, I don't understand why you answered in that way.

Well, imagine this scenario.
1. A new guy/girl to nutrition comes to this forum to search for information.
2. Sees that eggs are bad to some people and then proceeds to stop eating them as a whole.

So, if there is a clarification of what part of egg is bad, continues to eat the white and restrict the consumption of the yolk.

"in that way"? I responded in a normal way. I don't know what you mean.

When you go to the store, eggs are labeled as 'eggs', and egg whites are labeled as 'egg whites'....

[Playitsafe]

Anytime you lose weight, you'll see lower lipids pretty much. No as relevant for people who are active and not dieting down actively.

That certainly isn't working in my case. I'm 5' 6" and was around 145 lbs. when I got checked 3.5 years ago. Since then, I've actually lost 10 lbs. and my LDL and total C levels are up somewhat.
The weight loss wasn't even intentional. In bodybuilding, people usually are trying to gain muscle weight. I think I'm going to focus more on being fit than on being muscular. Been trying for that for the past 25 years.

[AdamWW]

That certainly isn't working in my case. I'm 5' 6" and was around 145 lbs. when I got checked 3.5 years ago. Since then, I've actually lost 10 lbs. and my LDL and total C levels are up somewhat.
The weight loss wasn't even intentional. In bodybuilding, people usually are trying to gain muscle weight. I think I'm going to focus more on being fit than on being muscular. Been trying for that for the past 25 years.

That's because you weren't overweight or obese. There's a difference between people who have large amounts of fat to lose, and people who are of normal weight.

[Nedo]

I would keep the eggs around, eliminate butter from diet, and keep saturated fat as low as possible. Check blood to see how you respond. If no change, then eliminate eggs for a month and go get tested again. If overweight, also enter a deficit.

Eliminating butter and keeping saturated fat low helped me, despite even weight gain. Good idea to do this for general health anyways.