Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

I come with a question, not really with answers. What do you think: are they dangerous if consumed more than once a day?

As with most foods, excess can probably be harmful. One or two eggs a day is not excessive.

Trust your instincts, eat whatever you like in moderation, and do regular exercise.

The average adult, in decent health, without abnormal cholesterol levels, should have no more intake than 300 mg of cholesterol per day. The average egg has 188 mg. Are two eggs fine sometimes? Yes, but it should not be done too often. It all depends on your current blood-cholesterol levels, the rest of your diet, amount of exercise etc. So having two, or even more, may not be so bad, depending on the rest of your diet, etc. All of the cholesterol is in the yoke, so egg-whites are no problem. Scrambled generally have all the yoke mixed in. If you have them over-easy, or sunny-side up you can pretty much choose how much yoke you eat. If you only eat some of the yolk, you are only consuming some of the 188 mg average of cholesterol per egg. Sometimes I have a couple of eggs, bacon, etc, and I have the eggs sunny-side up, and did my bread in the runny yolk... but I don't eat all of the yolk.


A good cholesterol lowerer is sunflower seed.

Kevin

Hello all,

This may be of interest:

Unscrambling the evidence
http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/s ... 266764.htm

With metta,
Chris

Actually, I am quite active physically and I practice bodybuilding, but I am also vegetarian, for the most part. So I have high needs in terms of proteins, and the question was raised as to which food I should have to get the necessary amount of proteins, given the fact that I am probably going to live in a remote place where I will not have a lot of choice beyond common food items you can find at your local mini-mart.

So I found out that eating eggs should be a good solution, because no living being has necessarily to suffer in order to get eggs produced for human consumption. The problem is that if I base my protein intake on eggs consumption, I have to deal with the yolk issue. Most nutritionists say no more than 4 or 6 eggs a week. Some others say there is no problem at all, we can eat as much as we like. The former say the latter play the game of farm industry, the latter say the former are misinformed. I think the former don't want to take risks, but the motivation of the latter are not necessarily clear either.

This is an important question because if I remove the yolks, I will have to eat about 15 eggs per day, while it would be twice as less if I kept the yolks, and I don't like to throw anything edible away, let alone the question of money. But if I ate those yolks, I would be eating about 9 times more than the recommended upper limit according to many nutritionists... So it's a toss up between wasting food/money and potentially taking health risks.

This article suggests according to Chinese medicine, egg yolks have no impact on health:

Chicken egg yolks are considered “neutral” in terms of qi energy. In traditional Chinese medicine, the body’s energy or qi, needs to be balanced to ensure good health. Foods are usually qualified as hot or cold, and overindulgence in either hot or cold foods can unbalance the body’s energy. As a result, neutral dietary foods like chicken egg yolk are useful for their lesser impact on qi.
http://www.happyacupuncture.com/chinese ... -egg-yolk/

I couldn't find anything really precise about what Ayurveda has to say on the matter

Sekha wrote: I couldn't find anything really precise about what Ayurveda has to say on the matter

I believe they are considered sweet in flavor so they reduce vatta. The yolks are warming, the whites are more cooling, and they build ojas, making them very nourishing and good after a work out. Since most body building is heating and pitta producing, the cooling quality of the egg-whites should be favorable (although if oily they will also have a heating quality). But everything must be taken in moderation. Eating too many will definitely not be good for you, and will likely be too fatty.

What about protein shakes?

Kevin

This is a good article:

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page= ... out_eating

Kevin

I am not so sure it's good to rely on them too much. I take them only after the workout. Perhaps I should think of using them a bit more.

Sekha wrote:I am not so sure it's good to rely on them too much. I take them only after the workout. Perhaps I should think of using them a bit more.

Hi Sekha, that is the most important time. You should have a look around veganbodybuilding.com and the article I linked: http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page= ... out_eating. : )


Kevin

Hi Sekha,

Sekha wrote:I come with a question, not really with answers. What do you think: are they dangerous if consumed more than once a day?

I won't touch them anymore. For some foods, there is no safe level of consumption.

http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/eggs/

kind regards,

Ben

Virgo wrote: What about protein shakes?

Personally, I think one should get one's nutrients from wholefood plant-based meals.
Over the last ten years the trend within the health&fitness sector has been an absolute obsession with protein.
The fact of the matter is, in the West, one gets more than enough protein whether one is on a standard american/western diet or vegetarian or vegan. There is also some concerns with regard to protein formulas. Whey-based protein formulas in the US have been found to contain heavy metal contamination. I've also heard anecdotal reports of young people who have relied on protein formula for weight loss and 'bulking' suffering acute kidney disorders.

Ben wrote:Whey-based protein formulas in the US have been found to contain heavy metal contamination.

Interesting. It would be wise to do research into the brand before purchasing any products.

I've also heard anecdotal reports of young people who have relied on protein formula for weight loss and 'bulking' suffering acute kidney disorders.

Interesting. Yes, it is important not to overdo the protein, that is why I am not a fan of 'extreme' buildling.

Kevin

Ben wrote: Personally, I think one should get one's nutrients from wholefood plant-based meals.

I also think this sounds like good way forward. But I have difficulties when it comes to match this with my lifestyle (physical activity + remote location). I think eating egg whites should be a proper solution, dietetically as well as ethically speaking.

Ben wrote: The fact of the matter is, in the West, one gets more than enough protein whether one is on a standard american/western diet or vegetarian or vegan.

That is certainly the case for people who eat more than they exercise (perhaps even a majority?), but I do need a lot of proteins, and if I don't eat them, my body makes me feel the need quite vividly. Sometimes it wakes me up at night and I have to get up to take proteins if I have not ingested enough before going to bed.