Egg Yolks Almost as Bad as Smoking? Really?!

A new study from Canada was released recently suggesting that increased egg yolk intake is almost comparable to smoking (in terms of atherosclerosis/plaque build up in arteries, etc.) Unfortunately, more and more of this type of "study" is being released in the media as definitive information- studies that show correlation of a few isolated factors and make a suggestion. In this particular study, researchers used subjects who were attending "Canadian vascular prevention clinics." They measured the amounts of "plaque" build up, and had patients answer questionnaires. The study did find that similar amounts of plaque build up were found in patients who smoked and patients who ate more than 3 egg yolks/week. However, a multitude of other important factors were left out, such as alcohol intake and exercise: "This was not done for alcohol consumption, licorice intake or exercise, because the textual responses were mainly not quantifiable..." Common knowledge now tells us that these two factors alone are large determining factors when looking at risk for Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), along with all other dietary intake or other lifestyle habits. We believe that eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat- full of protein, protective cholesterol, and other cell-building nutrients. More and more, in the age of social media and "fast news," information will be posted and distributed in an attempt to make the big splash and post the big headlines. It's up to us to fully investigate before believing a headline or an article. What to look for in a reliable research article: - A large sample size - They weigh multiple variables equally (Nothing in the human body has a single-factor cause. We're organisms made of multiple systems functioning simultaneously and interdependently.) - If their findings end in "may", "can", or "might", you can take their advice pretty lightly.

 If you'd like more info on the benefit of eggs, this is a short, well done article with lots of helpful links. Click Here

 Ray Peat, Ph.D has written a very good (though dense) article on the value of Cholesterol and it's misconceptions. Click Here

  Click Here for the actual research article.