Cholesterol in Eggs – Are Eggs on the List of Foods to Avoid or Not?

 

Many people have wondered if cholesterol in eggs is a problem or not. Are eggs on the list of foods to avoid high cholesterol, or do they belong on a high cholesterol food chart.

What types of cholesterol are contained in an egg, and are eggs one of the causes of high cholesterol?

Everything you need to know about egg yolk cholesterol, high cholesterol food, ways of lowering cholesterol naturally, and how to lower cholesterol can be found on this page, so stick around and read on to find out more…


 

Egg Yolk Cholesterol

Funny egg drawing. Are eggs guilty of cholesterol or not? Find out here!When it comes to cholesterol, eggs have always been in the “suspect” category, along with shrimp, lean meats, and Mrs. Peacock in the library with the knife.

Many people have read the hundreds of pages on the internet related to eggs and cholesterol, and the conflicting answers of “Yes, eggs are good for you” and “No, eggs will send you to an early grave” can be kind of confusing.

If you are one of the many people around the world that wishes the internet would just make up its mind regarding eggs and cholesterol, you will be delighted to know that there is a definitive answer for you.

The answer comes in three parts:


 

Part 1: Egg Whites Are Excellent for You

The egg whites are the part of the egg that contains the majority of the protein, along with most of the other nutrients and minerals that your body needs.

Those on high cholesterol diets are usually recommended to switch out whole eggs for egg whites, as the egg white contains all of the goodness of the egg.

In addition, none of the cholesterol that you normally find in your eggs are contained in the egg whites, meaning that you can get all of the good stuff with none of the bad stuff.

You can enjoy eating many egg whites a day without having to worry about getting high cholesterol, so enjoy the whites with a bit of salt or added to your food.


 

Part 2: Egg Yolks Contain Bad Cholesterol

Egg yolks are the part of the egg you want to cut down on if you have cholesterol problems.Now we take a look at the yolk, which is unfortunately the part of your egg where all of the cholesterol and most of the taste lies.

Everyone who has ever made an egg white omelet knows that most of the delicious egg flavor lies in the yolk. The sad news is that all of the cholesterol in the eggs are also contained in the yolk, making them a bit problematic for those with high cholesterol.

If you have high cholesterol, it is recommended that you cut out eggs altogether in order to avoid causing it to worsen. Even if your cholesterol is only moderately high, you will find that cutting out egg yolks will be the secret to staving off high cholesterol.


 

Part 3: Egg Yolks in Moderation May not Kill You

There is, however, a small light on the horizon of the gloomy, eggless world that you see for yourself down the road of high cholesterol.

The good news is that eggs in moderation will not contribute to raising your blood cholesterol, meaning that you actually can eat egg yolks if you keep the number of yolks you eat to a minimum.

Studies have shown that eating fewer than 4 egg yolks a week will not raise your blood cholesterol, meaning that you can enjoy up to 4 full eggs a week without having to worry about causing heart attacks or strokes.

Cholesterol guidelines about eggs and cholesterol: 4 eggs a week is max but okay.


 

Caveat to Part 3: They’re Everywhere!!

Big pile of eggs: Eggs are in many of the foods you eat everyday!Remember that eggs literally are everywhere…

You aren’t just going to find eggs in your omelet, fried eggs, or scrambled eggs, but you will be surprised when you think about the other places that you can find eggs.

You will run into eggs when biting into a piece of bread (whole or white), and eggs are hiding in the batter of that cake you are eating (naughty, naughty…No cake on a low cholesterol diet!). You will find eggs in pie crusts, cookie dough, and at least 50% of the dishes that you cook.

It is harder to avoid egg yolk cholesterol than you might think, especially if you are trying to limit yourself.

In fact, you would do well to stop eating egg yolks for breakfast, as you will probably get more than 4 egg yolks in the bread, cookies, pies, and other foods you eat that contain eggs.

It may surprise you to find that eggs are hiding in all kinds of food, so you will have to work hard to keep your egg yolk consumption down to just four per week in order to avoid cholesterol.


 

What are the Types of Cholesterol in Eggs?

Remember that there are two types of cholesterol:

1. Dietary cholesterol is the stuff that is in food
2. Serum cholesterol is the stuff that is in your blood

Obviously dietary cholesterol is the stuff that is found in eggs, but what is the difference between the two?

Simple: serum cholesterol is the stuff that causes arterial blockages and heart problems, and it is produced by the body rather than by the food you eat.

However, the dietary cholesterol in the food you eat can still cause problems, so it is important to avoid lots of the stuff.

Eggs contain just under 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol, and you are recommended to eat no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day even if you are in tip top shape.

Those with high cholesterol are recommended to eat only 200 milligrams or less, so the dietary cholesterol in eggs can cause problems if not consumed in moderation.


 

Why Study a High Cholesterol Food Chart…

When it comes to finding what foods are good for you and which are not, the high cholesterol food chart is a good one to study.

There are many foods that are on this high cholesterol food chart, and the sad news is that many of your favorite foods, dishes, and desserts are probably on the list.

But why should you study the high cholesterol food chart in the first place?

Remember that cholesterol needs to be controlled in order to prevent it from causing heart problems, such as dying.

But how can you know how to control your cholesterol if you don’t know what is causing it in the first place? Obviously there are other things that you need to worry about, such as your lifestyle, your drinking and smoking habits, your weight, and your exercise.

However, when it comes to keeping cholesterol in check, the food you eat and the diet you follow will play a central role.

In reality, keeping your cholesterol in check is nearly impossible if you don’t take care to avoid foods high in cholesterol.

The list of foods to avoid high cholesterol is quite extensive, and you can enjoy cooking and preparing many tasty dishes with this list of foods. However, the high cholesterol foods that you need to avoid are numerous, and you have to study the chart of foods high in cholesterol in order to be certain that you are avoiding the foods that contain the most cholesterol.

Sure, you don’t need to spend every minute of your day worrying if you are eating the “wrong” thing, but studying the list and remembering what is on it will help you to know exactly what foods are right and which are wrong.

If you can eat as many of the “right” foods and as few of the “wrong” foods as possible, you can do your part to keep your high cholesterol under control.


 

High Cholesterol Foods are Usually Your Favorite

It’s funny how many people check out the list of high cholesterol foods, and their heart slowly sinks into their stomach as they realize that most of the foods they like are on that list.

Think about it: pizza, steak, burgers, ice cream, butter, cakes, cookies, and many more dishes are on the list of things you can’t eat if you are trying to control your cholesterol.

All you can eat are whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and you don’t even like these things.

This is then where the problem lies.

If you notice that all of the foods you like are on the list of foods you can’t eat, it can be hard to face the fact that you have problems with your diet.

If you don’t find any of your favorite foods on the list of foods to avoid high cholesterol, it is probable that your diet is contributing to your cholesterol.

For this reason, you have to start changing your dietary habits today. Sure, very few people go from loving a delicious juicy steak to falling in love with a tasty cucumber tomato salad from one day to the next, and it will take time to change your habits.

However, think about how much better life will be without your having to worry about keeling over from a sudden heart attack or stroke as a result of your high cholesterol. That is a great incentive to help you work on changing your eating habits, and you might just be surprised when you find out just how tasty some of the healthy foods can be when prepared right.


 

How to Lower LDL Cholesterol with Exercise

If you want to know how to lower LDL cholesterol, the secret actually lies in your following a healthy diet and lifestyle plan.

That lifestyle plan includes exercise, and you might be amazed when you see just how much of a difference you can make in your life with a healthy diet and good exercise.

Did you know:

  • You can raise your HDL cholesterol by as much as 6% just by doing exercise
  • You can lower your LDL cholesterol by up to 10% with regular exercise

Amazing, isn’t it?

But what kind of exercise should you do if you want to lower cholesterol?

Simple: any kind of exercise you want. Too many people avoid doing exercise because it seems boring and repetitive, but the truth is that exercise can take on many forms. Don’t like jogging? Try going for a bike ride.

Don’t like swimming? Why not try martial arts? Don’t like lifting weight? Try doing some Yoga or Pilates.

When it comes down to it, the type of exercise you do doesn’t really matter provided that you are burning fat and building muscle.

LDL cholesterol can be significantly decreased if you just do 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily at least 5 days a week. You don’t have to work yourself to total exhaustion, but you can take a walk, go running, cycle around town, or sign up for a class.

Don’t worry about doing something you think you should do, but find a form of exercise that will be fun for you. The fun exercises are the ones that you will actually stick with, so sign up for something that you will be faithful with and that will help you keep your cholesterol in check.


 

Other Ways of Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

Now that you know about how to lower LDL cholesterol with exercise, and you know all about eating the right foods (the ones not on the high cholesterol foods list), here are a few more things you can do if you are interested in lowering cholesterol naturally:

    • 1. Stop Coffee Intake – Coffee boosts your energy levels in the morning, but it also boosts your cholesterol levels. If you are serious about fighting your cholesterol problems, you would do well to stop drinking coffee or any stronger forms of caffeine.

 

    • 2. Cut Back Stress – Stress produces cortisol, which is a powerful hormone that messes with your body’s internal balance. It also causes more cholesterol to be produced, so it is essential that you find ways to cut back on the stress in your life if you are serious about lowering cholesterol naturally.

 

    • 3. Avoid Alcoholic Beverages – Many people read that a drink or two a day is actually good for your cholesterol, and they start out their diet thinking that it will be easy to keep their consumption moderate. When they end up drinking many more drinks per day, their cholesterol levels go through the roof. For this reason, you may want to consider avoiding alcohol altogether.

 

  • 4. Live More Actively – Many people find that they can come home to a nice relaxing evening sitting on the couch, but hold on! Where is the exercise? Even if you don’t think you have time to do exercise in the evening, you can at least do activities that will be more active. Find ways to get more activity in your life, and see the cholesterol melt away.

Sure these things sound almost too simplistic for you to do if you want to lower your cholesterol, but the truth is that cholesterol is not some demon that has to be exorcised via the power of prayer or magic.

It does have to be EXERCISED, but you can use these few simple lifestyle changes to help you lower your cholesterol as easily and naturally as possible.


 

Causes of High Cholesterol

We know so much about how to get rid of cholesterol, but what causes it in the first place?

Here are a few things that contribute to cholesterol:

    • Age – People that are older tend to have a higher risk of cholesterol.

 

    • Gender – Men have a higher risk of cholesterol than women, and they start being threatened by it earlier than their female counterparts.

 

    • Ethnicity – That’s right: cholesterol is racist. Certain ethnicities are prone to having higher cholesterol than others.

 

    • Lifestyle – Those that smoke, drink, and eat too much without enough exercise will always have higher cholesterol than those that live moderate lives.

 

    • Weight – Those that are overweight are much more likely to have high cholesterol than those who are at optimal weight.

 

  • Diet – Everyone knows that diet is responsible for cholesterol.

Now that you know the things that cause cholesterol, you can do your part to prevent it.


 

How to Lower Cholesterol Through Diet

You can very effectively control your cholesterol with your diet, and, if you want to know how to lower cholesterol, you will find that the food you eat will have a powerful effect on your cholesterol.

What to eat, what to eat?

  • Fiber
  • Whole grains
  • Lean proteins
  • Low fat foods
  • Nuts and other foods containing natural oils
  • Fish

What to avoid?

  • Fats
  • Sugar
  • Fatty meats
  • Processed meat
  • Salty foods
  • Snacks
  • Desserts

Simple enough, right?

You will find that your diet is one of the main factors in your cholesterol levels, so you would do well to watch the foods you put in your mouth if you want to have a long, healthy, and cholesterol-free life.