America’s “Eggs-perts” Get Fried by Real Science
“War on Cholesterol” may have backfired on American health.
A big problem with bureaucrats and politicians is that so many possess degrees in law and social science; therefore, whenever the results of a “scientific study” sound like a platform to generate to rules, they go all in without properly analyzing the data.
Our current news cycle is filled with the unintended consequences of these edicts, but today I want to focus on one of the popular mandates.
About 40 years ago, a group of researchers concluded that cholesterol in the diet increased the risk of heart disease. Within a relatively short period of time, eggs (an important component of American diets) were defamed. Subsequently, sales dropped substantially — hurting thousands of poultry farmers.
Then, a few years back, another study asserted the existence of “good cholesterol”.
HDL (Good) Cholesterol: HDL cholesterol is considered “good” cholesterol because it helps remove LDL cholesterol from the arteries. Experts believe HDL acts as a scavenger, carrying LDL cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it is broken down and passed from the body. One-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL. A healthy level of HDL cholesterol may also protect against heart attack and stroke, while low levels of HDL cholesterol have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease.
Now, details on a new study are being released that leave our supposed experts with egg on their faces.
The nation’s top nutrition advisory panel has decided to drop its caution about eating cholesterol-laden food, a move that could undo almost 40 years of government warnings about its consumption.
The group’s finding that cholesterol in the diet need no longer be considered a “nutrient of concern” stands in contrast to the committee’s findings five years ago, the last time it convened. During those proceedings, as in previous years, the panel deemed the issue of excess cholesterol in the American diet a public health concern.
The finding follows an evolution of thinking among many nutritionists who now believe that, for healthy adults, eating foods high in cholesterol may not significantly affect the level of cholesterol in the blood or increase the risk of heart disease.
This is one of the best pieces of news to come out in a long period of time. Eggs are loaded with nutrition vital to health:
A single large egg contains only 70 calories and a mere 1.5 grams of saturated fat, while providing the body with 6 grams of the highest quality protein. Most of the important nutrients are contained in the yolk, which is a good source of vitamin A, iron, B vitamins (such as folate and riboflavin), zinc and a number of other important nutrients.
Eggs provide choline, which is a nutrient in the family of B-vitamins that has been shown to help preserve memory function, and the nutrients zeaxanthin and lutein, which help guard against loss of vision. Egg whites are a good source of riboflavin and selenium. Riboflavin is an antioxidant and plays a role in energy metabolism and selenium is also an antioxidant and promotes a healthy immune system.
Eggs provide the body with a highly digestible form of essential amino acids. They are also a good source of leucine, an amino acid that is important in helping the body to maintain and build muscle while at the same time encouraging lower levels of body fat.
In 2012, I broke my hip in a freak accident. Based on some blood-work, it was obvious I had to change my diet — but the recommendations of the nutritionists resulted in unwanted pounds and no improvement in the follow-up blood tests.
Then, I came across Instapundit’s recommendation for the book, “Why We Get Fat” by Gary Taubes. Taubes asserts that the “low fat – high carbohydrate” diet is the underlying reason for America’s skyrocketing obesity levels.
When did those levels begin to rise? About the same time that eggs were condemned by the study.
The “Why We Get Fat” diet suggests regular egg consumption, and I have enjoyed 2-3 breakfasts weekly featuring omelettes and bacon. Yes, my cholesterol level increased…as far as the HDL “Good Cholesterol” was concerned And so have the levels of other components my doctor is using to check on my bone health.
Personally, I feel more energetic and I am at a healthy, stable weight. I dance “Bollywood” and my doctor is impressed with my total range of motion.
And while my approach may not be for everyone, it looks like I am not the only one trying something different. Egg sales have shot up 11 percent…and companies are working to develop even more nutritious variations.
Truly, American diet rules have been scrambled by the new results. Therefore, why should we trust government experts on their other, “science-based” recommendations?
(h/t AACONS on Facebook)
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Our Founders knew what too many generations have forgotten -that no government is good government – and that the smaller the government the lesser its evil.
The Fed also has such high penalties for food products being underweight that all packaged food you buy is “overweight” with more than the “servings” stated on the box.
Crazy actions by bureau-krauts! Snark!
Just as the :::cough cough::: unemployment rate is faked lower by counting 1 hour of paid work a week as employed, by forcing tens of millions of job seekers to exit the labor market, and hiring thousands more for the Fed government.
http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS11300000
Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
For the Nth time, the government has no business telling us what to eat.
Did you hear me, Michelle Obama ?
This doesn’t answer a question whether statins drugs should continue to be prescribed to prevent heart attack and stroke.
In other words, would higher cholesterol intake protect the brain, while at the same time the taking of statin drugs protect the arteries from being clogged by it, or would statin drugs killing the benefit of even high intake of cholesterol?
Otherwise, this is a Hobson’s choice: drop the statin drugs, and drop dead of a heart attack or a stroke before you get a chance to be old enough to not be demented. (Shades of Ezekieal Emmanuel…)
Statins kill. Senator Kennedy (PeeBeUponHim) – brain cancer. Robert Novak (RIP) – brain cancer.
Both on statins. The cancer caught everyone involved by surprise. And it killed them quickly.
Statins deplete Coenzyme Q10 in both blood and tissue, causing cardiomyopathy. This frequently leads to heart failure. Statins in my opinion are more dangerous than what they purport to fix.
The three scariest things in the world:
An Arab with an RPG
An Iranian with a nuclear bomb
A liberal with a government grant.
The liberal with a government grant should be at the top of the list.
Thank the good God, I found Atkins and Weston Price 20 years ago. This hoax is quite old and has a big history, see the article Oiling of America.
Now that eggs and butter are good for you, what of all the suffering caused to malnourished Americans? What about the Lipitor et al hoax costing folks billions? Actually, I’m jumping the gun here, but the next step in the unraveling of false science is the exposition of the entire cholesterol myth.
In addition to better health for many, another good thing to come out of this is that more folks will distrust the government-industry-science cartels that have been exploiting us for gain. Anybody for separation of science and state?
My comment doesn’t appear to other visitors. Have I been offensive, or do I go too far off topic?
Best to you, Leslie. You have good posts. I’ll stay off them in the future.
On many blogs, including more than two hyperlinks gets your comment flagged for moderation so that the blogger/blogess can make sure it’s not spam. I doubt it was anything personal 🙂
Thanks. I wouldn’t have said anything, except a comment of mine disappeared recently on another post of Leslie’s. Glad this one got through.
My mistake. Finally found the comment.
Why We Get Fat changed my life. 70 pounds dropped 3 years ago. I’ve put 15 back on in that time frame only because I allowed carbs back in. Removing carbs and increasing my egg intake – the weight will be gone in a month. The importance of Why We Get Fat is its reliance on scientific study. Understanding why I was losing weight and keeping it off was as important to me as the actual loss.
I’m boiling a couple of eggs right now!!!
So I assume that insurance companies can no longer deny health or life coverage on the basis of cholesterol levels.
America’s “Eggs-perts” Get Fried by Real Science
Unfortunately, you can’t just choose which “study” you like and declare that one to be “real science”.
That’s just a variant on Lysenkoism. It’s not science.
Unfortunately, you can’t just choose which “study” you like and declare that one to be “real science”.
Really? Try to convince the Global Warminists of that “fact”.
So, because the warmunists are pig-headed, it’s OK when the cholesterol fans are also? Pretty stupid theory.
Global warming is the food pyramid of our day.
Hardly.
The food pyramid is real enough. Its significance is questionable.
Global Warming is not real. So its significance is irrelevant.
Someone has to say it, the yolks on us
I “discovered” low carb about 20 years ago when I was suddenly putting on weight for no apparent reason. It was extremely effective and since I’m a curious person by nature, I decided I needed to know more about how our bodies metabolize protein, fat and carbs. As my journey progressed, I realized just how much doctors and most nutritionist don’t know about nutrition.
The Taubes book “Why we get Fat” is really just a condensed version of his book “Good Calories, Bad Calories”… which I recommend to anyone who wants to delve a little deeper into the subject.
Bottom line, if you want to live a longer, healthier life, ignore government dietary recommendations
I recently discovered those two books, having seen them mentioned in the reviews for “The Big Fat Surprise.” The books are eye-opening, to say the least. I am modifying my diet accordingly by not worrying about animal fat, and monitoring carbs more than calories. Now I’m finally starting to shed the excess weight that stubbornly refused to come off despite exercising twice a day at 500+ calories a crack. The role of insulin in maintaining fat stores makes a whole lot more sense, and better comports with reality than the “calories in, calories out” model which most people blindly accept as gospel.
Ancel Keys did us all a disservice with his selective reporting of the data. I get angry when I think about how the government is pushing their carb-loaded pyramid and then turning around and blaming fat people for being gluttonous and lazy, when there is more and more evidence that it’s the carbs, stupid, that is the direct cause for the increase in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
If you’re interested in good health, listen to your grandmother (or great-grandmother) rather than the government. Stay away from sweets and starchy foods ~
The food pyramid is an ancient ruin – an archaeological curiosity, AFAIC.
I just wonder if this was the greatest hoax ever played or if the promoter and the do-gooders in government and the private sector who assisted in this bull made an honest mistake. If it was a mistake, why has it gone on for so long?
The obesity and diabetes is especially bad in the southern states. All one has to do is look at what they eat to see why that’s so.
I’ve been eating two eggs for breakfast every morning for the past three years, often with bacon or sausage on the side. I’ve lost 25 pounds, and as long as I don’t eat carbs, the pounds stay off. My cholesterol and triglycerides are “awesome,” and I’m quoting my internist.
Good for you, Kate! Same story here.
Heh. I actually gave my doc (who is about 15-20 years younger than I) some advice when he shook his head in amazement at my labs and said he’d kill to have my cholesterol, triglyceride and A1c levels. I told him to get off carbs and as much processed food as possible and it will happen even if you don’t need to lose a little weight. I also told him it’s much easier than one might think and it’s a lifetime change that feels really good. the energy level skyrockets and everything else improves – skin, muscle tone, stamina, mood, attention span, memory and quality of sleep.
People think this is a very difficult thing to do but we know differently, right? And it’s so worth it, you wonder why you didn’t figure it out sooner.
Carbohydrates cause weight gain and high cholesterol, period. I know it for a fact. I never had high cholesterol, but I wanted to lose 10-12 lbs.. In four months of low carbohydrates (about 75 per day), I lost 19 lbs. and cholesterol dropped from 136 to 78. Triglycerides dropped from 94 to 46. I eat eggs 3-4 times per week. Hubby didn’t believe me when I first talked about all this, but when he saw my labs he jumped on the bandwagon. He lost 22 lbs., cholesterol dropped from 180s to 110s, triglycerides went down to 92 from 141 and he’s finally off statin drugs. His A1c (blood sugar) was just below borderline diabetic (pre-pre-diabetic) when he started; now it’s 5.6, which is fine.
The point is that the stupid food pyramid we were sold for decades is all BS. Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver from carbohydrates, not high-cholesterol foods or saturated fat.
So cut the carbs and you’ll have a new lease on life. Forget the food pyramid and the livestock feed cereals and the other processed grains and sugars. Cut the rice, potatoes, breads, corn, muffins and pasta. They’re killing you. Just cut sugar and starches to a minimum and mind your sodium. Protein, vegetables (corn and potatoes are starches, not “vegetables”) and fats are the way to go. You’ll feel and look great.
Eggs, butter, prime rib, asparagus, cheese; it’s all good, baby! 🙂
Mean’t to ask what the ” low carbohydrates (about 75 per day), ” is?
Grams, ounces,?
Also what carbs are you referring to?
Rice, potatoes and corn are far more fattening than pasta.
That’s grams. While I share the same basic diet as JRT, I consider 75 grams a bit on the high side, but compared to the average american diet that is really low.
I average 20-30 grams on a normal day and sometimes it’s zero, but I don’t aim for that extreme.
0 would be really bad…not enough vegetables.
20-30 is ok if what you do get comes mostly from veggies. Some people may need more…don’t forget you can subtract fiber from carb counts.
And as far as pasta goes. I haven’t touched it in years. It’s just a long and winding strand of carbs.
Humans have been eating eggs since the beginning of time. If they were bad for us someone would have noticed long before the modern experts starting obsessing over cholesterol. Indeed, our ancestors discovered that the egg is simply amazing. Eggs are close to indispensable to serious cooks. Not only is it high in protein and comes packaged in its own container, but it will leaven some dishes, thicken others, emulsify a sauce or clarify a liquid. It is also used to enrich some dishes, hence the old warning about not trying too hard to improve or embellish “Don’t over egg the pudding.”
While we are at it, can someone tell me what is better, HDL > LDL or does it make no difference if LDL > HDL ?
Sure. Ignore both and you’ll do better plus be less stressed.
O/T: the solution to the health care crisis is to give everyone the health insurance available in the 1920s.
Science means never having to say you’re sorry!
Science takes a lot of blame for what media and government pick up and run the wrong way with.
My dad had his first heart attack in 1965 at the age of 32. Arterial disease killed his father at 66, grandfather and great grandfather in their 50’s. Treatment then was bed rest for a month and a no-fat (meaning high carb) diet. He came out of one month in bed in worse health than when he came in. It took him more than a year to fully recover. After his third heart attack, 25 years, and 75 additional pounds later, he had a bypass and a change of doctors. The new doc was young enough to be questioning of “authority” and old enough to act on those questions. He had my dad describe every diet he’d been on over the previous 20 years, and tell him which one worked.
The only one on which Dad lost weight was what he called the “steak and beer” diet: A bowl of Wheaties for breakfast (he couldn’t do without his Wheaties), a salad for lunch (which he hated), and a steak and a beer for dinner. The doc said, “That sounds a little like Atkins”, and gave him the book and sent him forth. Not only did Dad lose 75 pounds in the first year, he came off cholesterol and blood thinning meds altogether.
Dad lived to be 80, and it wasn’t arterial or heart disease that killed him. He never thought he’d live long enough to get Parkinsons and cancer, which finally got him. Any diet is not for everyone though. I went on Atkins with him and after three days passed out on the kitchen floor; I have low blood sugar. But he lived a healthier life for 22 years. Any time I hear “studies show”, I turn the channel.
The combination of grant-seeking reductionist “scientists”, a fawning and headline seeking “press”, and a government with plenty of other people’s money to “invest” in the name of “progress” is very dangerous indeed.
Any time a “scientist” tells you that he/she has reduced a complex system (such as the human body, or the global climate) down to a relatively simple set of variables you should be somewhat skeptical.
When the “news” grabs this “scientific” revelation and sensationalizes it, you should be very skeptical.
And when a politician starts using the ensuing hysteria to justify spending your money for more studies and regulations, it’s time to grab your wallet and hold on tight.
Time and time again these people are just plain wrong. Yet Al Gore and the Church of SCIENCE! (and Stuff) expect us to just roll over and give them $19 Trillion to “fix” the climate?
Do they really think we’re that effin’ stupid?
A lot of misconception here:
High LDL cholesterol and/or low HDL cholesterol IN YOUR BLOOD is still a bad sign.
Dietary cholesterol has little to do with body cholesterol.
However, dietary saturated fat (and not all saturated fat) can lead to high cholesterol because it tricks the liver into thinking you need to make more cholesterol. Most of the time, foods that have high cholesterol have high saturated fat…and sometimes this may be the bad saturated fat.
The exact proportions of saturated fat and what types (by chain length) are “good” vs “bad are still unclear. It is universally accepted that trans fats are always bad and should be avoided completely. Other than that, the science is far from settled.