Are they good or bad for your health? For decades, researchers have been debating the benefits and harms of eggs on metabolism. Because eggs contain about 186 milligrams of cholesterol on their own, making them a very controversial food. In 2019, an American study published in the famous journal JAMA found a modest link between egg consumption and other cholesterol-rich foods such as red meat and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. That is why the Montreal Heart Institute (Canada) now advises limiting its consumption to less than three or four per week. But for other scientists, on the contrary, eggs save us from bad cholesterol (LDL). According to them, once in the intestine, cholesterol binds to receptors on intestinal cells, which causes the release of a hormone called cholesin. The latter circulates in the blood to the liver where it binds to the GPR146 receptor, which signals the liver to produce less LDL, thus helping to maintain levels in the body.
In the hope of settling the issue once and for all, a young man sacrificed his body for science. Dr. Nick Norwitz, who holds a PhD in human brain metabolism from the University of Oxford (UK) and is currently completing his MD at Harvard University (USA), ate 720 eggs in one month. As a result, his bad cholesterol levels dropped, he claims in a YouTube video released on September 9, where he recounts his strange experience.
“I did this 10% because I like eggs, 20% for the jokes and puns I could drop during the video, but mostly to test a scientific hypothesis,” he explains by way of introduction. The young man therefore ate the equivalent of 24 eggs a day for a month, in the form of scrambled eggs, fried eggs, stuffed eggs, hard-boiled eggs and omelettes. “All those eggs didn’t raise my cholesterol, he assures. On the contrary, my LDL cholesterol (nicknamed “bad cholesterol”) decreased by 2% in the first two weeks, then by another 18% in the two weeks that followed.” “Even though my dietary cholesterol intake increased more than fivefold, my LDL cholesterol level actually decreased.”he rejoices.
Increase carbohydrates
Aside from eggs, Dr. Norwitz continued to follow her usual ketogenic diet. As a reminder, the ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Its goal: to get the body to stop using sugar as its primary source of energy and use fat instead. In detail, a ketogenic diet is primarily composed of meat, fish, olive oil, nuts, dark chocolate, cheese, and yogurt.
Two weeks after starting his experiment, Dr. Norwitz started eating 60 grams of carbohydrates per day. To do this, he focused on fruits like bananas, blueberries, and frozen cherries. To get to 60 grams of daily carbohydrates, he ate the equivalent of two bananas per day.
Why this choice? Because eating more carbohydrates can help lower cholesterol, he explains. In people who follow a low-carb diet, LDL cholesterol levels tend to rise because the body burns fat for energy instead of using carbohydrates. In contrast, in high-carb eaters, LDL levels drop because the body uses carbohydrates for energy.
The reaction of Internet users
The video, viewed more than 200,000 times, has not failed to provoke reactions. “My grandparents grew up and lived on their farm their entire lives, which meant they never ate processed foods. They both died at almost 100 years old and never took pills, eggs were their main staple.”writes an Internet user.
“I clicked because I knew my LDL wouldn’t go up and I want to share this video with some of my family members who are freaking out because I’m eating all these eggs and meat!” another adds. “I have eaten eggs almost every day of my 67 years, in all the good times and in the bad, I have never given up eating them. And I am very healthy, without a doctor, without medication.”assures a third.
Let’s remember, however, that this is an individual’s experience and it would be completely unreasonable to reproduce it. Even if you love eggs, stick to the official health guidelines. According to the latter, healthy individuals can eat up to six eggs per week. Eggs found in mayonnaise, cakes or quiches are taken into account.
What about cholesterol?
Cholesterol makes up and maintains the structure of our cell membranes and plays a vital role in the synthesis of certain hormones. Most of the cholesterol needed is made by the liver and the rest by diet.
Two proteins are responsible for its transport in the body by the blood: high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). The former serve to prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaque on the artery walls and they bring the excess cholesterol accumulated in the organs to the liver so that it can be eliminated. This is called “good” cholesterol. The latter, on the other hand, distribute the excess cholesterol to the different organs, which leads to lipid deposits on the artery walls and therefore promotes the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques. This is “bad” cholesterol.
For theHealth insurancefor total cholesterol, the standard is a rate lower than 2 g/l. The LDL cholesterol rate must be lower than 1.6 g/l and that of HLD cholesterol higher than 0.4 g/l.
Source: www.topsante.com
