This may be a stupid question... eggs/cholesterol.

[Mehpenn]

I don't even know if I'm putting this in the right section.. if not, please tell me and I'll move it.

My father recently had a stroke.
Years of not following doctor's orders, not taking care of himself, being over indulgent, and no exercise finally caught up with him. Heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity... it's all contributed to his current condition.

He LOVES my fresh eggs... and I love to share with him.
But now he's on a strict diet and I'm afraid his doctor will suggest he lay off the eggs. Not that he eats an unreal amount as it was, but still, I just don't know that real eggs will be on his new menu.

He's been in a rehabilitation facility, learning to swallow and walk again, basic control of his limbs, coordination, balance.
Gradually as his swallowing has improved, he's been able to actually eat and not be fed through the peg tube inserted while he was in the hospital.
One of the breakfast items he's been allowed is what I call eggs from a jug. They're lower fat, lower cholesterol.
Pop doesn't really care for them.

So, here's my (probably stupid) question.
Is there a way to produce lower cholesterol, fresh, real eggs?

I saw somewhere that someone said adding flax seed to the hen's diet will help produce lower cholesterol eggs?

 

[mommissan]

That's a good question. I've wondered about how they make that low cholesterol egg. This article doesn't give trade secrets, but may make you feel better about the eggs your flock produces.

http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/15/u...-salvation-or-sham.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Hugs to you and your Dad.

 

[Mehpenn]

Thanks!
That was an interesting article... wonder if they still agree today?
Lots has changed since 1989.

 

[mommissan]

Sorry about the article's vintage. Here's a more recent article. The problem with cholesterol is we know very little about how to control cholesterol in ourselves, and even less about how to control it in chickens. There's still much debate about the accuracy of the testing of the cholesterol in these so called low cholesterol eggs since there are no standards to test by. IMO, your homegrown eggs are the best you'll find. You feed them healthy foods and give them the best living conditions possible and the good eggs come naturally. Believe it or not, healthy eggs come from healthy chickens.

http://www.sciencecodex.com/can_eggs_be_a_healthy_breakfast_choice

 

[tweetysvoice]

That second article was really fascinating! I like that my chickens will be producing not only tastier eggs, but ones that are healthier as well!

 

[Cindy in PA]

Back in 1989 when my father had a heart attack, most of the data was focused on eating less cholesterol & not as much n fat. They discovered later that the cholesterol we eat doesn't have as much of an effect on our numbers as the fat. Humans make our their cholesterol from fat and the cholesterol in food has much less of an effect on our numbers. That is why over the years foods such as eggs have gone from the forbidden to eating them in moderation, because of the great nutrition they pack.

 

[mommissan]

Newer findings begin to point towards the enormous consumption of refined carbohydrates that lead to elevated cholesterol. Cholesterol is not all bad either. Presently, there is no cost effective way to actually test the average person for the levels of actual "bad" cholesterol that is the true cause of arteriosclerosis.

We still have a long way to go.....

 

[sherylreno]

If your dad is told to cut back on the eggs because of his diet then all you need to do is allow only 1 yolk per 2 eggs. That's how those jug eggs are done. You still get the color so to speak but you get less cholesterol. I have a friend who eats a 6 egg omelete every Saturday but he only uses 2 yolks.

The egg white is where most of the protein is.