Eat This Best Food To Lower Cholesterol

The debate over egg yolks and heart health risk need to end now. In fact, the egg yolk may just be one of the best foods to lower cholesterol.   

Reasons An Egg Is The Best Food To Lower Cholesterol

While it is true eggs are a high in cholesterol, they may just be the best food to help lower cholesterol. Sounds crazy but it’s true.

An egg is likely the best food to lower cholesterol because it contains cholesterol and because it contains lecithin, choline, omega-3, and selenium.

Cholesterol In Egg Yolk Makes It A Best Food To Lower Cholesterol

One egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol. However, when you consume cholesterol containing foods the body produces less cholesterol. So the best foods to lower cholesterol will contain cholesterol. 

“About 85 percent of blood cholesterol is manufactured by the body in the liver. It isn’t coming directly from the cholesterol in the foods that you eat.”–Steven Nissen, Cardiologist

As a result of in depth scientific research failing to find any link between heart attacks and eggs, the 2015⁻2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were changed. The recommendations to restrict cholesterol intake to 300 mg/day as a way to improve heart health was removed. 

Research Shows Eggs Do Not Raise Cholesterol

For 50 years, nutritional recommendations have advised the public to limit eating egg consumption to 2-4 times a week. For those with heart disease and type 2 diabetes, you are directed to eat less. Yet, when reviewing the literature, egg consumption was found to be inversely related to high cholesterol. It was in fact, results from egg studies show less artery clogging plaque in individuals who ate more than one egg each week.  

The authors suggest that when eating eggs as part of a healthy lifestyle eating more eggs (7/week) is safe. I believe eggs are one of the best foods to lower cholesterol. I also believe eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat.

The whole egg, white and yolk, provides 13 essential nutrients, such as folic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron and copper, vitamins B12, B6, A, E  and D, riboflavin, and zinc. Eggs also contain antioxidants, Lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants act as protectors against cancer and macular degeneration. All of this and more are packed into just one 70 calorie egg. This makes the incredible edible egg one of the most healthy foods to eat.

4 Key Nutrients Make Eggs A Best Food To Lower Cholesterol

Eggs contain four key nutrients that support its role as a best food to lower cholesterol. 

Omega 3. Two grams of  omega three helped reduce triglycerides significantly. Omega-3 fatty acid (DHA) is also a necessary component for the brain and proper retinal function in the eye. One omega-3 egg contains about 100 milligrams of DHA.

Lecithin. As part of the nervous system, lecithin works to promote memory, learning and good sleep. The liver uses lecithin to help circulate choline throughout the body and help prevent cholesterol build up in the arteries.  Lecithin is found in the egg yolk. 

Choline. An essential nutrient and component of lecithin. It helps the liver metabolize fats and fight against fatty liver disease. Another function of choline is to help maintain normal blood levels of homocysteine (an amino acid associated with inflammation and heart disease when levels are high).

The Institute of Medicine recommends 550 milligrams of choline per day for men and 425 milligrams per day for women. Children and babies need choline too, see see table 3  for these recommendations.

Two egg yolks contain 300 mg of choline.  Additional food sources of choline include eggs, beef, liver, fish, pork, chicken and milk.

Selenium: A powerful antioxidant may help raise HDL (good )cholesterol. It also supports the immune system, reproductive and thyroid health.

Whole eggs contain nutrients that help convert small dense (bad) LDL cholesterol to large floating (good) LDL cholesterol. This certainly supports the role of the whole egg as a best food to lower cholesterol.

Best Food To Lower Cholesterol Is an Egg Wrap Up

The incredible edible egg is one of the healthiest foods a person can eat. Research has cleared the egg of any association with heart disease risk. Genetics and environmental factors influence cholesterol more than eggs or any high cholesterol food. An egg is naturally filled with healthy vitamins, minerals and cholesterol lowering nutrients. Lecithin, choline, omega-3 and selenium make eggs one of the best foods to lower cholesterol. Eat as many eggs as you want, especially because it can be a best food to lower cholesterol. 

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