What's better, whole eggs or egg substitutes?

You have probably been warned at one time against eating eggs, because eating eggs could raise your cholesterol and in turn increase your risk for cardiovascular disease.

The reviewed research should shed some light on this issue(Blesso CN, et al. 2013).

In this study the participants were either consuming 3 whole eggs per day or the equivalent amount in yolk-free egg substitute, as part of a moderately carbohydrate-restricted diet for 12 weeks.

Plasma lipids as well as several cardiovascular risk markers, even particle size of both HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol), were measured.

All of these risk factors improved in the participants eating the eggs, but not for the participants eating the egg substitute.

Even plasma insulin and insulin resistance were reduced and the diameter of the HDL and LDL increased only in the group that ate eggs. These are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Apparently eating eggs will reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease, not increase it as we used to believe.

Blesso CN, Andersen CJ, Barona J, Volek JS, Fernandez ML. Whole egg consumption improves lipoprotein profiles and insulin sensitivity to a greater extent than yolk-free egg substitute in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Metabolism. 2013 Mar;62(3):400-10. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2012.08.014. Epub 2012 Sep 27.

Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.