Man, I know exactly what you mean, Cashless! I actually avoided eggs for at least 2 or 3 years after my surgery. After I read a study from Harvard showing that any amount of eggs- or chicken with skin- doubled or much worse the rate of PC progression, especially for high risk guys like me. So I stayed away. This was also a period where I picked up 25 lbs.
But then I found other studies that did not find any where near the amount of risk with eggs(don't know where those are at the moment) and some that even found that chicken is protective!
Anyway, I still look at eggs with some caution. But talk about
a rock and a hard place! They blamed the worse outcome on the choline in the eggs. Choline is an essential nutrient. And in this day an age of ever increasing Alzheimer's, it is particularly important for the brain, as is cholesterol and fat.
Also, there are some other folks claiming that the main problem with choline is when it is combined with certain carbs, in particular wheat. Then it ends up forming TMAO, which is the supposed real source of the problems. I don't know, these are just things I read.
But you and I share an aversion to excess insulin, an essential part of the Standard American Diet SAD. And eggs make my low carb, low insulin diet so much easier to do without giving up all foods I love. Plus, if I improve my PC outlook at the cost of my brain health? Rock and a hard place for me.
As I looked at those studies cursing eggs, it occurred to me: don't you know, almost without any question, that the guys who ate more eggs in the Harvard PC studies, did not eat eggs by themselves, or indeed even eggs with just bacon? Don't we all know dang well most of these folks ate these eggs with grits, toast and jelly, hash browns and or pancakes or waffles with syrup? Almost no one eats eggs without a butt load of carbs to go with them. I doubt they adjusted for every thing else these men ate other than eggs.
If that is the case, what was the real cause of the much higher rate of BCR in the men who ate eggs(and chicken), at least in the Harvard study? Could it be that these men - on average- also ate a very high carb diet, like most Americans do? Maybe before they ate those eggs, they had a nice big glass of OJ, and then had biscuits and gravy, maybe some hash browns or even a waffle or pancakes with plenty of syrup?
I'm betting most of the egg eaters in the Harvard study ate- a little or a lot- in exactly that fashion. And I bet the majority of them had high blood insulin and were even pre- or past pre- diabetics. If so, did this contribute to their relapse maybe even a lot more than the eggs? What if they ate a very low insulin diet including eggs, rather than the high carb diet with eggs that most of them almost certainly ate? Would they still have progressed at such a higher rate? I do wonder. In fact, I even wonder: if their egg consumption had been part of a low carb, low insulin diet, might they have progressed at a lower than average rate? It seems possible to me. There are jst too many variables here.
Perhaps people that rarely ate eggs were very health conscious vegans or close to it? People who ate a relatively low insulin diet as well as few or zero eggs? If so, did they not progress because they didn't eat eggs or because they ate a diet that produced low insulin?
Those are questions I have always had regarding how bad- or maybe good- eggs are for us. Particularly considering how essential choline is for our health, other than the possible PC thing.
BTW, the best sources of arachidonic acid(as opposed to choline) are:
/www.livestrong.com/article/38903-foods-high-arachidonic-acid/Somebody said...
1:
Poultry Products
In the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES, chicken and chicken-mixed dishes contributed the most to arachidonic acid intake in America. A 1-cup serving of a roasted chicken broiler contains 0.154 gram of arachidonic acid. Duck contains the highest level of arachidonic acid among lean meats, according to a study conducted on dietary arachidonic acid among meat fat.
Fish Sources
Fish is best known for being a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are also essential for a healthy body. But fish also contains arachidonic acid, classified as an omega-6 fatty acid. For example, a 3-ounce serving of Atlantic or Pacific halibut contains 0.002 gram. Wild Atlantic salmon contains a little more with 0.291 gram per 3-ounce serving. NHANES found that fish and fish products contributed around 5.8 percent of the total intake of arachidonic acid in America.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
One large hard-boiled egg contains 0.074 gram of arachidonic acid. Eggs were found to be the second largest contributor to arachidonic intake among American, according to NHANES. If you have high cholesterol or are at risk for the condition, consume eggs in moderation. While eggs contain essential nutrients your body needs, one large hard-boiled egg contributes 186 milligrams of cholesterol to your diet.
Beef and Beef Products
While beef and beef products are the third top contributor of arachidonic acid to the American diet, according to NHANES, they contain lower levels of arachidonic acid when compared to white meats. Dark meats including beef and lamb are higher in omega-3 fatty acids but still contain arachidonic acid. A 3-ounce serving of beef roast contains 0.042 gram of arachidonic acid.
.
Salmon contains 4 times the AA that eggs do? Wow!
Of course red meat contains arachidonic acid, but in the Harvard study that was such bad news about
eggs, they found zero relation of PC progression with even the highest amounts of red meat or even the highest amounts of
processed red meat!
Still, I know what you mean about
the eggs. They still give me pause.
Post Edited (BillyBob@388) : 8/20/2018 6:31:45 PM (GMT-6)