What About Eggs and Cholesterol?

But the larger question relates to dietary cholesterol versus blood cholesterol. Specifically, does our intake of dietary cholesterol – eggs having about 200 mg per unit – have a huge impact on our body’s cholesterol level?

First, know that cholesterol isn’t an evil substance. We all need it! It contributes to brain function and healthy hormone levels. It’s so important that the body is estimated to produce three to four times more cholesterol than you consume in your diet! Researcher and medical doctor Uffe Ravnskov shows that low cholesterol is associated with an increase risk of susceptibility to infections, as well as dying from diseases of the stomach, intestines, and lungs.

Dr. Ravnskov, who has written extensively about cholesterol over the years in several peer-reviewed journals, has demonstrated from the literature that there is no clear correlation to dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol. Furthermore, he contends that there’s no evidence that consuming cholesterol-containing foods actually contributes to heart attacks. He cites several cultures that consume nearly all of their calories from high cholesterol-containing animal foods. In nearly every case, their blood cholesterol is about half that of American’s average cholesterol levels.

If there are risks associated with cholesterol, it’s usually related to oxidized cholesterol. Doug Kaufmann has written about how oxidation can be associated with fungal overgrowth and mycotoxicosis. Antioxidants – which are almost universally anti-fungal – help to keep oxidation (and fungal overgrowth) at bay, and thus help prevent cholesterol from oxidizing.

If your health care professional is trying hard to get your cholesterol down to a level that is currently considered “normal”, and if your to eat a low-fat diet, chances are that information is coming from someone who is practicing standard, conventional medicine. Bless them, and do not take a short article like this as medical advice; but if it were me, I’d ask for a second opinion from someone that understands the great mythology surrounding dietary cholesterol versus blood cholesterol, the effects of dietary cholesterol on overall health, the true risks of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, and the documented risks of low cholesterol.

Bottom line? My wife, my son, and I all enjoyed an egg breakfast this morning – and most mornings. Thank goodness for the incredible, edible, easy-to-prepare, and delicious, nutritious egg.

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