egg yolks

heres a few articles I could dig up on egg yolks I'll try to get some more. I can't remember where I read the others so if anyone has more for or against yolks please add them

Egging you on:
Egg whites have long been a "must-eat" for bodybuilders. They're the perfect protein because of their amino acid composition and ability to generate muscle growth, and they don't taste too bad when you dress them up properly. The yolk, on the other hand, never really received the credit it was due. Thanks to its fat and cholesterol content, bodybuilders and cholesterol-conscious baby boomers have long been tossing the yolk aside like yesterday's news. But it's time to welcome it back as part of a healthy diet.

Research now suggests that not only are the saturated and unsaturated fats found in eggs good for us, they're also not readily deposited as bodyfat. In fact, it appears that even cholesterol-challenged folk can eat egg yolks without worrying about the consequences to their health. A study at the University of Connecticut (Storrs) tested the cholesterol response of 25 males and 27 females to an egg diet (640 mg per day of additional cholesterol) or a non-egg diet (o mg per day of additional cholesterol). The cholesterol in yolks doesn't raise the LDL cholesterol particles that are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD).

So don't be afraid to trade in those scrambled egg whites for some scrambled whole eggs. For those of you with high cholesterol, it looks like you, too, can enjoy more eggs; just check with your doctor before eating a six-egg omelet.

YO-YO A NO-NO

DO YOU TEND to bulk up during the colder winter months and then lose your winter "coat" of fat to reveal your hard-earned muscle before you hit the beach each summer? Do you also tend to get sick often? If so, the reason may be your dietary practices. Gaining and losing weight--or what is often referred to as yo-yo dieting--can compromise your immune status, according to new research from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington. And having a compromised immune system can make you more susceptible to colds and force you to miss more days at the gym. Not good if muscle gains are what you're after

The study tracked the weight-loss patterns of 114 women for more than 20 years. Participants who reported losing 10 pounds or more at least five separate times in 20 years had about one-third lower immune function than those who lost 10 pounds once or less over the same period. The researchers also found that women who maintained the same weight for five or more consecutive years had 40% greater immune function than those whose weight had remained stable for less than two years. So do yourself a favor--keep your immune system healthy by staying fairly trim year-round. Quick tip: Gain lean mass in the off-season by eating more lean protein and complex carbs.

EGG-CETERA

This table below provides the nutrient composition of one large raw
chicken egg:

Calories 74
Protein 6 g
Carbohydrates <1 g
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 22 mg
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 570 mg
Calcium 26 mg
Iron 1 mg
Magnesium 6 mg
Potassium 67 mg
Sodium 70 mg
Zinc <1 mg
Selenium 16 mcg
REFERENCE

* Herrona, K.L. Metabolism 53(6):823-830, 2004.

DWAYNE N. JACKSON, MS

Health Benefits
Eggs are a good source of low-cost high-quality protein, providing 5.5 grams of protein (11.1% of the daily value for protein) in one egg for a caloric cost of only 68 calories. The structure of humans and animals is built on protein. We rely on animal and vegetable protein for our supply of amino acids, and then our bodies rearrange the nitrogen to create the pattern of amino acids we require.

Another health benefit of eggs is their contribution to the diet as a source of choline. Although our bodies can produce some choline, we cannot make enough to make up for an inadequate supply in our diets, and choline deficiency can also cause deficiency of another B vitamin critically important for health, folic acid.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted a study to see what would happen if human subjects received a diet low in choline and folate. Male and female volunteers ate low-choline, low-folate meals that provided as little as 13% of the recommended daily allowance of folate. No severe choline or folate deficiencies occurred during the study, but blood levels of choline decreased an average of 25–28% in men and women during the low-choline, low-folate regimes. Levels returned to at least normal when researchers provided more of these important B vitamins to the people in the tests.

Choline is definitely a nutrient needed in good supply for good health. Choline is a key component of many fat-containing structures in cell membranes, whose flexibility and integrity depend on adequate supplies of choline. Two fat-like molecules in the brain, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, account for an unusually high percentage of the brain's total mass, so choline is particularly important for brain function and health.

In addition, choline is a highly important molecule in a cellular process called methylation. Many important chemical events in the body are made possible by methylation, in which methyl groups are transferred from one place to another. For example, genes in the body can be switched on or turned off in this way, and cells use methylation to send messages back and forth. Choline, which contains three methyl groups, is highly active in this process.

Choline is also a key component of acetylcholine. A neurotrasmitter that carries messages from and to nerves, acetylcholine is the body's primary chemical means of sending messages between nerves and muscles.

One large egg provides 300 micrograms of choline (all in the yolk), and also contains 315 milligrams (yes, milligrams not micrograms) of phosphatidylcholine. Although most sources just report the free choline at 300 micrograms, it is the phosphatidylcholine that is the most common form in which choline is incorporated into cell membrane phospholipids.

In addition to its significant effects on brain function and the nervous system, choline also has an impact on cardiovascular health since it is one of the B vitamins that helps convert homocysteine, a molecule that can damage blood vessels, into other benign substances. Eggs are also a good source of vitamin B12, another B vitamin that is of major importance in the process of converting homocysteine into safe molecules. Eggs are high in cholesterol, and health experts in the past counseled people to therefore avoid this food. (All of the cholesterol in the egg is in the yolk.) However, nutrition experts have now determined people on a low-fat diet can eat one or two eggs a day without measurable changes in their blood cholesterol levels. This information is supported by a statistical analysis of 224 dietary studies carried out over the past 25 years that investigated the relationship between diet and blood cholesterol levels in over 8,000 subjects. What investigators in this study found was that saturated fat in the diet, not dietary cholesterol, is what influences blood cholesterol levels the most.



Improve Your Cholesterol Profile
Not only have studies shown that eggs do not significantly affect cholesterol levels in most individuals, but the latest research suggests that eating whole eggs may actually result in significant improvement in one's blood lipids (cholesterol) profile—even in persons whose cholesterol levels rise when eating cholesterol-rich foods.

In northern Mexico, an area in which the diet contains a high amount of fat because of its reliance on low-cost meat products and tortillas made with hydrogenated oils, coronary artery disease is common. In a study published in the October 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,

researchers evaluated the effects of daily consumption of whole eggs on the ratio of LDL (bad) cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol, and phenotype (the way an individual's genetic possibilities are actually expressed) in 54 children (8-12 years old) from this region. A month of eating 2 eggs daily, not only did not worsen the children's ratio of LDL:HDL, which remained the same, but the size of their LDL cholesterol increased—a very beneficial change since larger LDL is much less atherogenic (likely to promote atherosclerosis) than the smaller LDL subfractions. Among children who originally had the high risk LDL phenotype B, 15% shifted to the low-risk LDL phenotype A after just one month of eating whole eggs.



Helping to Prevent Blood Clots
Eating eggs may help lower risk of a heart attack or stroke by helping to prevent blood clots. A study published in the October 2003 issue of Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin demonstrated that proteins in egg yolk are not only potent inhibitors of human platelet aggregation, but also prolong the time it takes for fibrinogen, a protein present in blood, to be converted into fibrin. Fibrin serves as the scaffolding upon which clumps of platelets along with red and white blood cells are deposited to form a blood clot. These anti-clotting egg yolk proteins inhibit clot formation in a dose-dependent manner—the more egg yolks eaten, the more clot preventing action.(December 30, 2003)


Protection against Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Cataracts
Lutein, a carotenoid thought to help prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, may be found in even higher amounts in eggs than in green vegetables such as spinach, which have been considered its major dietary sources, as well as in supplements. Research presented at the annual American Dietetic Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas, October 26, 2003, by Elizabeth Johnson from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University also showed that natural lutein esters found in eggs are as or even more bioavailable as the forms of the nutrient offered in purified lutein products. Johnson’s trial tested serum lutein concentration in 10 healthy men, before and after daily consumption of 6mg lutein obtained from four different sources : eggs from chickens fed marigold petals (which are high in lutein), spinach (one of the best known sources of dietary lutein), lutein ester supplements (purified lutein) and lutein supplements. Differences in serum lutein levels in response to the various types of doses were observed the day after the first dose: the serum lutein response to egg was significantly greater than the supplements but no higher than the response to the spinach. After nine days of daily lutein dosing, the serum lutein response was significantly greater in the egg phase than either of the supplements or the spinach. The bottom line: this study suggests that eating lutein-rich foods may be a more effective means of boosting lutein concentration in the eye than taking supplements.



Additional research, another human study published in the August 2004 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, confirms that lutein is best absorbed from egg yolk—not lutein supplements or even spinach. Egg yolks, although they contain significantly less lutein than spinach, are a much more bioavailable source whose consumption increases lutein concentrations in the blood many-fold higher than spinach.

Although the mechanism by which egg yolk increases lutein bioavailability is not yet known, it is likely due to the fats (cholesterol and choline) found in egg yolk. Lutein, like other carotenoids, is fat-soluble, so cannot be absorbed unless fat is also present. To maximally boost your lutein absorption, we suggest combining both eggs and spinach. Whether you prefer your spinach steamed, sautéed or fresh in spinach salad, dress it with a little olive oil and a topping of chopped hard-boiled egg. For a flavorful, quick and easy recipe featuring eggs and spinach, try our Poached Eggs over Spinach and Mushrooms.



Protection against the Food-Borne Pathogen, E. coli
Yet another reason to enjoy eggs: a peptide (protein building block) found in egg white binds to the food-borne pathogen, E. coli O157:H7, thus preventing infection, according to Japanese research published in the September 2004 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. Egg white's ability to protect against E. coli O157:H7 is especially welcome since drug resistant strains of this (and other) bacteria have arisen from the overuse of antibiotics. The protein, hen egg ovomucin, was tested against a variety of food borne pathogens and was found to bind exclusively to E. coli O157:H7, so the food industry will also be able to use it to detect the dangerous bacterium in foods.



Recent Study Shows Protection against Breast Cancer
Breast cancer incidence rates more than double in Chinese women as they migrate from China to Hong Kong to the United States, and several dietary factors, which differ between the United States and the Chinese population, including intake of soy, meat, and fruits and vegetables, have been suggested to affect breast cancer risk.

A study of 378 women with breast cancer and 1,070 age-matched controls, which was published in the January 2005 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, found two dietary choices that were strongly protective against the disease:

Women consuming the most fruit and vegetables—3.8 or more servings each day—had a 52% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women eating 2.3 or fewer servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Eating eggs—at least 6 eggs a week—was also highly protective, lowering risk of breast cancer by 44% compared to women consuming only 2 eggs a week.

Our food ranking system also qualified eggs as an excellent source of vitamin K, a very good source of selenium, iodine, and vitamin B2 and a good source of protein, molybdenum, phosphorous, vitamin B5 and vitamin D
References
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Blumberg J, Johnson E. Lutein and disease prevention. Papers presented at the annual American Dietetic Association Conference, San Antonio, TX, October 26, 2003 and at the First International Scientific Symposium On Eggs and Human Health: The Transition from Restrictions to Recommendations, USDA, Washington, DC, September 23.
Cho HJ, Ham HS, Lee DS, Park HJ. Effects of proteins from hen egg yolk on human platelet aggregation and blood coagulation. Biol Pharm Bull. 2003 Oct;26(10):1388-92.
Chung HY, Rasmussen HM, Johnson EJ. Lutein bioavailability is higher from lutein-enriched eggs than from supplements and spinach in men. J Nutr. 2004 Aug;134(8):1887-93.
Ensminger AH, Esminger M. K. J. e. al. Food for Health: A Nutrition Encyclopedia. Clovis, California: Pegus Press; 1986.
Howell WH, McNamara DJ, Tosca MA, et al. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein responses to dietary fat and cholesterol: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 1997 Jun;65(6):1747-64.
Jacob RA, Jenden DJ, Allman-Farinelli MA, Swendseid ME. Folate nutriture alters choline status of women and men fed low choline diets. J Nutr 1999 Mar;129(3):712-7.
Kobayashi K, Hattori M, Hara-Kudo Y, Okubo T, Yamamoto S, Takita T, Sugita-Konishi Y. Glycopeptide derived from hen egg ovomucin has the ability to bind enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Sep 8;52(18):5740-6.
Margen S and the Editor, Univ of California at Berkley Wellness Letter. The Wellness Encyclopedia of food and nutrition. New York: Health Letter Associates 1992.
Morris MC, Evans DA, Bienias JL, Scherr PA, Tangney CC, Hebert LE, Bennett DA, Wilson RS, Aggarwal N. Dietary niacin and the risk of incident Alzheimer's disease and of cognitive decline. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2004 Aug;75(8):1093-9.
Shannon J, Ray R, Wu C, Nelson Z, Gao DL, Li W, Hu W, Lampe J, Horner N, Satia J, Patterson R, Fitzgibbons D, Porter P, Thomas D. Food and botanical groupings and risk of breast cancer: a case-control study in Shanghai, China. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005 Jan;14(1):81-90.
Wood, Rebecca. The Whole Foods Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall Press; 1988.

Great Post!

Perfect cause I just logged on to ask if eating whole eggs would be a good pro/fat meal while bulking....

Well there you have it....

Thanks