Cholesterol Is Our Friend. Why Did the Medical System Vilify It As An Enemy?

Part 2

 

“Once the general public accepts that dietary cholesterol is not a concern for cardiovascular disease risk, foods that have been labeled as high-cholesterol sources, including eggs, may be appreciated for their various other dietary components.”

(Michael J. Puglisi and Maria Luz Fernandez)

 

Cholesterol is essential for various bodily functions, including cell membranes, hormones, and neurological functions. In our previous newsletter, we discussed the debate surrounding cholesterol and its impact on health, also the fact that the medical system has set low cholesterol numbers, leading to the demonization of certain foods.

The distinction between “good” (HDL) and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol was explained, with an emphasis on the complexity of these proteins and why we think the validity of cholesterol testing  is questionable as it may not accurately predict heart disease risk. We touched on the use of statin medications like Lipitor and their potential side effects leading to liver damage, an increased risk of diabetes and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The cholesterol hypothesis, which links high cholesterol to health risks, was challenged.

This week we are diving deeper in the subject to show how the demonization of certain foods like eggs and saturated fats happened and how misleading it is.

The truth about eggs

For decades, the vilification of eggs was dominating yet eggs are not a risk for increasing cholesterol, they actually can lower cholesterol and have many other health benefits. “Egg protein has been recognized to be highly digestible and an excellent source of essential amino acids, with the highest attainable protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score. Egg protein has been shown to decrease malnutrition in underdeveloped countries, possibly increase height in children, and protect against kwashiorkor. Egg protein has been demonstrated to be important to skeletal muscle health and protective against sarcopenia. Egg protein also can decrease appetite, resulting in a reduction in the caloric intake from the next meal and weight reduction.”[1]

Another benefit of eggs is that they might be able to fight SARS-CoV-2. Researchers at the University of California, Davis[2], have harnessed the power of hen eggs to produce antibodies against the COVID-19 virus spike protein. By immunizing hens, they were able to generate significant quantities of IgY antibodies specific to the virus, offering potential treatments or preventative measures for COVID-19. IgY, similar to IgG in humans, is safe for human use and can be produced in large quantities. These antibodies were found in both the hens’ serum and their eggs, making egg-based antibody production cost-effective and highly adaptable to new strains of the virus. While serum antibodies were more effective in neutralizing the virus, the team aims to develop this egg-based antibody technology for a preventative treatment, like a spray, targeting individuals at high risk of exposure to COVID-19.

The results of a cohort study of 0.5 million Chinese adults on associations of egg consumption with cardiovascular disease showed that “compared with non-consumers, daily egg consumption was associated with lower risk of CVD. (…) Daily consumers also had an 18% lower risk of CVD death and a 28% lower risk of haemorrhagic stroke death compared to non-consumers. Among Chinese adults, a moderate level of egg consumption (up to <1 egg/day) was significantly associated with lower risk of CVD.”[3]

The misconception that egg yolk raises cholesterol levels has led to a decline in American egg consumption over the past four decades. However, numerous nutritional studies have debunked this myth, as research from the Yale Prevention Research Center demonstrated that consuming 2 eggs daily for 6 weeks did not adversely affect cardiac risk or cholesterol levels. Additionally, a University of Alberta study[4] revealed that proteins in fried and boiled eggs may actually have blood pressure-lowering properties. These egg proteins can be converted into peptides with ACE-inhibiting activity, blocking the compound responsible for constricting blood vessels and thus improving blood flow and blood pressure, with fried egg proteins displaying stronger ACE-inhibition capabilities due to higher cooking temperatures and heat distribution. Embracing eggs not only dispels outdated myths but also offers significant health benefits and a delicious breakfast option.

The benefits of eating eggs:

  • 1 egg contains 6g of high quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids
  • they contain naturally occurring vitamin D
  • they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect the eyes from damage caused by free radicals and avoid eye diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts
  • they are a good source of choline which is essential for the normal function of human cells; it helps regulate the nervous and cardiovascular systems and is beneficial for pregnant women as it influences normal brain development of the unborn child
  • they contain biotin, calcium, copper, folate, iodine, iron, manganese, magnesium, niacin, potassium, selenium, sodium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, vitamin E and zinc.

Therefore, I see no issues eating up to 4 eggs per week but I do recommend only selecting organically feed chicken or duck eggs because the feed given to commercial chickens is full of possible contaminants, hormones and antibiotics. Before any treatment for any health condition, one must first consider the body as a whole and instead of medicating the symptoms treat the complete system beginning with the core of health issues. Remember to always get a second opinion: my recommendation would be to see a naturopathic doctor to consider your options.

When it comes to caring for your health, it is becoming quite challenging. The medical system cannot be trusted since the medical students are brainwashed during their studies before they become doctors. In order to trust any clinical study, you need to know who paid for it. Most studies are financed by pharmaceutical companies—which is a total conflict of interest—so many times the finding are skewed, only reporting the positive findings. I read multiple studies per week and it is very rare not to see pharmaceutical fingerprints. The best way to be sure is to critically read the published study and make your own conclusion. Today it is blind faith to believe anything on social or legacy media, the medical establishment or their “believe the science” medical findings.

If you have never seen the Academy Awards movie The Constant Gardener with Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes that was quickly buried after the win, then do yourself a favor and see how these pharma criminals do business. To cover your bases, please do not think toxic chemical based B-vitamins or multi minerals will do the job; it is trick at best, and you need proper mineralization, one that get absorbed to the cells and not one that adds plaque to your arteries. I am trying to help you as I would my patients. The Doctor’s Choice equivalent to a one-a-day is actually a two-a-day because there is no way you can put everything you need in one capsule. We have reported extensive research on Next Generation Super Multivitamin and Opti-Cal/Mag Complex with K2—you can find these in our archived newsletters.

Additional Reading:

References:

[1] Puglisi, Michael J. and Fernandez, Maria Luz. 2022.

[2] Aston, Emily J. et al. 2022.

[3] Chenxi Qin et al. 2018.

[4] Majumder, Kaustav. 2013.