Egg yolks and Cholesterol

[dash21]

I'm in my early 50's, and my doctor tells me I need to reduce my cholesterol over the next 6 months, or I will finally begin to experience serious problems that will not be easy to reverse.

I don't eat many eggs as it is, so if I begin adding them to a new diet based on a far greater intake of fruit, will that raise my cholesterol, or badly impact my health?

( I think I could add eggs to my diet, but I'm not sure I am ready to add uncooked yolks; does that matter? )

[dash21]

...I'm not seeking medical advise, but I have not eaten eggs on a daily basis, in years, and never eaten raw egg yolks.

I'm just trying to decide if introducing more eggs to a fruit-oriented diet that reduces other (obviously bad) cholesterols, is a good idea.

[Aytundra]

Hey dash21, welcome!
you look like you are new here.

Try sunshine eggs, poached eggs, raw egg yolks in cold desserts.
Have you ever made cookies and cakes from scratch? Same way to crack an egg, and to separate them.
Take a spoon, scoop a drop of raw egg yolk.*
Do you like the taste of it?
If not read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

* Fine Prints
Start egg yolks slowly so that you get used to it.

If you have questions on salmonella, I read something of an eggcellent discussion here:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3171

and I read something on cholesterol here:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2712&start=120

[Oscar]

Hello Dash21, cholesterol only becomes an issue if it is heated, thus creating harmful oxysterols. Raw cholesterol is never a problem. Having said this, it is advisable, like Aytundra mentioned, to start slowly with eating (raw) egg yolks. If you're in good health, you could start with one egg yolk per day, otherwise half a yolk or even less. If you are in poor health, start with one teaspoon per day, for 3 days, then increase to two, etc.

[dash21]

Hey dash21, welcome!
you look like you are new here.

Try sunshine eggs, poached eggs, raw egg yolks in....

If you have questions on salmonella, I read something of an eggcellent discussion here:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3171

and I read something on cholesterol here:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2712&start=120

Yes, I am new.

Thank you, Aytundra!

...and for the links! Consuming Egg yolks was the one thing I did not understand, in fact, I did not consume cooked eggs, daily, either, as my parents did. So I am now curios to know more about this.

[dash21]

Hello Dash21, cholesterol only becomes an issue if it is heated, thus creating harmful oxysterols. Raw cholesterol is never a problem. Having said this, it is advisable, like Aytundra mentioned, to start slowly with eating (raw) egg yolks. If you're in good health, you could start with one egg yolk per day, otherwise half a yolk or even less. If you are in poor health, start with one teaspoon per day, for 3 days, then increase to two, etc.

So when eggs are cooked, the cholesterol becomes an issue, then?

Is Cholesterol raised, when yolks are consumed- but it is not an issue?

Or does it no even show up in a test?

Thanks for responding, Oscar!

[Oscar]

So when eggs are cooked, the cholesterol becomes an issue, then?

Correct.

Is Cholesterol raised, when yolks are consumed- but it is not an issue?

It depends, but when your body is used to the yolks and has balanced itself, cholesterol levels will be normal.

Or does it no even show up in a test?

Cholesterol will always show up in a test, because your body needs it, and even makes some of it itself.

Thanks for responding, Oscar!

You're welcome

[RRM]

Similar to vitamin B3 (niacin), it both needs to be present in your diet and your body produces it.
How much is produced, co-depends on how much is absorbed from your diet.

You need cholesterol for lots of reasons; production of hormones and regulation of neurotransmitter activity.
Your body produces cholesterol (and vitamin B3) as a safety measure:
when your diet is low in it, your body may still produce enough of it. (=individually different)
Low (cholesterol) levels may result in depression and/or agression.
A high level may be beneficial.
Cholesterol is also converted into bile acids, for the digestion of dietary fat.
When your diet is high in cholesterol, less bile acids are re-absorbed (and converted back to cholesterol).

In the process of producing cholesterol, (natural) oxi-cholesterols are intermediates.
The body can perfectly deal with these.
Due to cooking, both natural and unatural oxi-cholesterols are formed.
The body has issues with dealing with unnatural oxi-sterols.
This may result in the accumulation of unnatural oxicholesterol.
Then the combined level of (natural) cholesterol and (unnatural) oxi-cholesterols may be too high, which may lead to damaging and clogging your arteries.

In conclusion:
Elevated "cholesterol" levels may be beneficial or detrimental, depending on how much of that "cholesterol" is unnatural oxi-cholesterol.

[dash21]

That makes a lot of sense, RRM

I just reached the age where my doctor has instructed me that I have to lower my cholesterol, or irreversible problems will occur from 'clogging'.

I've always been inclined to favor a natural diet, but I allowed unnatural sweets and other negative foods to interfere, until I got serious, returned to normal weight, and started reversing bad trends. I' ve been leaning toward a vegan diet for a long time (I tried that, when I was in my 20's, for awhile, and it worked out well), but when I recently discovered Wai, and its orientation around fruit, that turned on a light, so to speak.

I've got to manage the cholesterol issue, watch my glucose levels, correct digestion, and nurture a diet that promotes better health.
I still have a lot of reading to do, so thanks for the help!

[Emeira]

an issue if it is heated, thus creating harmful oxysterols. Raw cholesterol is never a problem.

what about blended raw egg yolks, are they as much bad as cooked? does blending (for only about 30s) creates harmful oxysterols too?

[RRM]

I've got to manage the cholesterol issue, watch my glucose levels, ...

Here is the thing about glucose levels:
Though glucose is essential for the brain (when too low, you will faint), the blood contains very little glucose.
That is because we have spare glucose available (as glycogen), yielding glucose when blood-glucose is running out, or yielding energy when we need to be physically active.

Spare glucose (up to 400 kcal) is stored in the liver (as glycogen), which replenishes the blood sugar level when needed.
Extra glucose is also stored in the muscles (up to 1200 kcal), but unlike the glycogen in the liver, this glycogen in the muscles cannot be converted back to glucose when blood-glucose is low.

When is extra sugar harmful?
When the spare glucose depots are already filled up completely.
When new glucose is entering the blood, while it cannot be stored as glycogen, it has to be converted to glycerol and 'wait' for 3 fatty acids to link up with as triglycerides (= 3 fatty acids + 1 glycerol), ready for storage in adipose tissue. So, you need a lot of fat to store excess sugar. In the meantime, your body wants to take the excess glucose from the blood, but it has problems doing so. This causes a 'short circuit' in the insulin system: insulin is released to store excess glucose, but when this glucose cannot be stored immediately (due to a lack of space in the glycogen depots), those same excess glucose molecules will keep on triggering the release of insulin. This triggers the de-sensitization of insulin receptors. And if that happens often enough, long enough, it is the onset of diabetes.

When is extra sugar NOT harmful?
When you need it. If there is still room for storing glucose as glycogen in the liver or the muscles. If your liver glycogen depot is empty, your body has no problem whatsoever with downing a beverage containing 400 kcal of sugar. Simply because all that sugar is rapidly utilized to replenish the blood sugar and to fill up the liver glycogen depot. If both liver glycogen and muscle glycogen are running on empty, you may indulge on a very large meal with lots of sugar (or starches, which is also glucose). Simply because you need it. Because you have the means to store that energy efficiently and rapidly.

[RRM]

an issue if it is heated, thus creating harmful oxysterols. Raw cholesterol is never a problem.

what about blended raw egg yolks, are they as much bad as cooked? does blending (for only about 30s) creates harmful oxysterols too?

There is no scientific info available about that.
But this is what we do know:
- Blending does cause 'frictional' heat at a molecular level, causing oxidation.
- The shelf life of blended fruits is much shorter than that of non-blended juice.
- Cholesterol is sensitive to auto-oxidation

[Emeira]

- The shelf life of blended fruits is much shorter than that of non-blended juice.

Banana juice, even if I use a slow juicer, immediately turns brown.
Does that mean that it loses nutrients?

[RRM]

Hardly. No distinction is made between fresh and 1 or 2 day old juices regarding nutrient make up.
Just make sure to leave as little air in the bottle containing the juice; fill it up completely.

[dash21]

Thanks, everyone, for the responses! I am just beginning the transition to a healthy way of eating, and I am reading lots and lots of information.