The Liberated Egg
Illustration © D. Yael Bernhard
My friends looked at me like I had two heads, their faces in shock. “What do you mean, eggs don’t cause high cholesterol?” they asked. “We’ve been throwing away the yolks and eating white omelettes for years.”
It was as if I had just told them the world is flat. Flat-out shock is the response most people have when they first learn that what we’ve long held to be true about dietary cholesterol has been overturned: it doesn’t create arterial plaque, and it doesn’t cause heart disease.1 In fact, healthy cholesterol is necessary for cardiovascular health, especially as we get older; our bodies use the strong waxy substance to support and repair our aging blood vessels – as well as to build sterol-based sex hormones, to synthesize vitamin D from cholecalciferol in our skin, and to absorb calcium in our bones.2 We need healthy cholesterol!
So what causes unhealthy cholesterol to build up in our blood vessels? There are several contributors. The main culprit is chronic inflammation, which is mostly driven by sugar. Sugar in all forms, whether table sugar, maple syrup, starchy potatoes, fructose, pasta, or bread – breaks down quickly in our digestive systems, causing a precipitous rise in insulin. Excess insulin in the bloodstream triggers the production of free radicals, which in turn cause oxidation at the cellular level, creating inflammation. Think of a brown apple core, or a rusty nail with pitted flakes of metal peeling off. That’s what happens to the cholesterol in our blood vessels when subjected to chronic inflammation. It becomes oxidized – peeling, bulging, cracking, degrading – and dangerous.
Processed oils also cause the inflammation that underlies cardiovascular disease,3 such as those that come from vegetables and seeds: safflower, sunflower, canola, corn, and sesame oil. These oils are fragile – which is why they remain liquid at room temperature – and turn rancid easily, especially when subjected to high heat. They are high in Omega-6 fatty acids, which are pro-inflammatory. Together with sugar, processed oils create unhealthy cholesterol. Corn oil is so inflammatory, it has been nicknamed "liquid fire" by some nutritionists. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is far higher in Omega-6 fats than the diets of our pre-industrial ancestors.
By contrast, good quality fats and oils have been shown to actually reduce the chance of developing cardiovascular disease, as well as aid in the absorption of minerals and other nutrients.4 They support resilient blood vessels and keep their epithelial linings healthy, especially when combined with regular exercise. Omega-3 essential fatty acids – derived from eggs, liver, fish oil, salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, krill, and anchovies – are anti-inflammatory. Consumed regularly together with vitamin K2, Omega-3s have been shown to reduce cholesterol more than statins.5 Omega-3s may also be obtained from some plant sources such as flax, hemp, chia seeds, and algae – but these must be converted to EPA and DHA in the body, a process that is inefficient and often insufficient.
A good quality egg is a nearly perfect food.6 And the yolk, formerly shunned, is the most nutritious part, containing all the nutrients needed to start a new life – including protein; essential minerals such as selenium and iron; antioxidants; lutein; and fat-soluble vitamins D, E, and A. Egg yolks also contain choline, the precursor of acetylcholine – a vital neurotransmitter which supports healthy cell membranes, builds myelin nerve sheaths, promotes neuroplasticity in the brain, and helps prevent depression.7
"The egg is an encapsulated source of macro and micronutrients . . . the perfect balance and diversity along with its high digestibility and its affordable price has put the egg in the spotlight as a basic food for humans. However, [the] egg still has to face many years of nutritionist recommendations aiming at restricting egg consumption to limit cardiovascular disease incidence. Most experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies conclude that there was no evidence of a correlation between dietary cholesterol brought by eggs and an increase in plasma-total cholesterol. Egg remains a food product of high nutritional quality for adults including elderly people and children, and is extensively consumed worldwide." 8
Happily, eggs have been egg-xonerated. Au contraire, eggs are golden, whether from a chicken, duck, turkey, pheasant, or grouse. It’s the type and quality of fat, the temperature to which it's subjected, the ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fats in your diet, the amount of refined sugar and starch you consume, and the exercise and sleep you get that determine the health of your cholesterol and your cardiovascular system. Eggs can play an important role in that total picture.
For the past year I’ve been eating an average of 2-3 eggs every day. I also peel the inner shell membranes, which are made of collagen, and cook them too. I eat a high-fat diet, yet I just received the results of my latest lipid panel, and my cholesterol scores couldn’t be better. The lab report says “low risk for coronary heart disease.”
But please don’t go by my personal experience! A quick search for « do eggs cause high cholesterol » will lead you to numerous sources that confirm that indeed, the world is not flat . . . we’ve just been told it is, for a very long time.
To your good health,
Yael Bernhard
Certified Integrative Health & Nutrition Coach
