Edit: I have since the time this post was created ceased to be vegan. I will not argue that it may work for some, especially some populations of melanated peoples. Regardless, islanders still ate seafood and bivalves. Eggs have also been an integral part of nearly every traditional culture’s diet, many bird eggs such as Emu, Quail, Ostrich, or the wild-type chicken were consumed, and in some traditions, even eggs from reptiles were food.

The cholesterol in eggs helps alleviate anabolic demand for the liver in producing it and the hormones that are made from it. Excessive strain on the liver for the production of cholesterol could have a negative interference with it’s ability to regulate other processes such as fat metabolism, bile production, blood filtration and detoxification of cytotoxic chemicals, some produced as a function of normal day-to-day metabolic homeostasis.

I will post studies on this soon, but this was just my two cent(ense)s on the subject. ❤

 

The human body was built intelligently. In the natural world, when a species is deficient in a vital nutrient, that species will suffer until at random they evolve to create that nutrient through biosynthesis. Cholesterol is an essential substance for the production & regulation of hormones and a multitude of other biological functions.

The body understands the importance of cholesterol by dedicating various organs for its production. The liver produces 80% of all the cholesterol the body needs, it is the main site for cholesterol regulation/deregulation & biosynthesis. The intestines produce all the cholesterol needed to assemble gastrointestinal hormones & cholecystokinin used in digestion. The adrenal glands are also an active site of cholesterol production; using locally biosynthesized cholesterol to produce adrenal hormones like adrenaline & cortisol. Lastly the reproductive organs also produce all the cholesterol they need to synthesize reproductive hormones like FSH, estradiol, and progesterone.

The body knows it needs these chemical messengers for nearly every biological function, and it knows that if it can supply its own cholesterol, it can promote and balance hormone production. Dietary cholesterol is therefore unnecessary, and not solely because we have no physiological need for it, but also because the only sources fo dietary cholesterol are meat, dairy & eggs, and the free cholesterol in their flesh & secretions ends up as none other than free LDL cholesterol within our tissues, and LDL has shown a multitude of negative health effects. Additionally, the human body is unable to break down cholesterol, so excessive LDL can often persist in our tissues and promote inflammation, oxidative damage, & endocrine disruption. Dietary saturated fat intake does nothing but exacerbate the inflammatory & destructive effect of LDL cholesterol, and has been linked to cardiovascular disease and various other malignancies.

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Thus, to avoid meat, dairy, & eggs is to eliminate from the diet not only toxic saturated fats & LDL cholesterol, but also bovine growth hormones (natural & synthetic), stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, etc.), xenoestrogens, persistent industrial pollutants, antibiotics, casein, IGF-1 (carcinogenic), heme-iron (pro-oxidant), and a plethora of other substances that disrupt hormone balance and nearly every other physiological process.

After this elimination, the human body still thrives on a cholesterol-free diet because it knows exactly how much cholesterol it needs to produce for the homeostasis of all its anabolic end-products. A vegan diet does just this while supplying the body with the phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, & minerals it needs for revitalizing endocrine function & all other physiological processes.

No nutrients are naturally & exclusively available in animal foods, all the nutrients animals bear must come from plants.

Eggs are boasted to have lutein & zeaxanthin, two compounds good for eyesight, but compared to leafy greens, eggs are a negligible sources for those. You can eat a third cup of spinach daily for the lutein & zeaxanthin you need, or eat 40 eggs, which sounds safest?

References:

The study above claims: “Eggs have health benefits.”

Disclosures:

“Dr Fernandez’s research on eggs has been supported by the American Egg Board.”

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21076725

Dietary cholesterol increases the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein to oxidation, increases postprandial lipemia and potentiates the adverse effects of dietary saturated fat. Dietary cholesterol, including egg yolks, is harmful to the arteries.

A diet lower in saturated fats and higher in monounsaturated fats, as well as high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and low in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids has shown anti-inflammatory effects when compared to a diet high in animal-based; protein, fat & cholesterol.

The most concentrated dietary sources for PCB’s are meat, dairy, & eggs.

The most concentrated dietary sources for PFC’s are meat, dairy, & eggs.

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19588936

Carcinogenic heterocyclic amines bioaccumulate primarily through meat consumption.

Phytosterols have shown to decrease LDL levels. They have also been shown anti-carcinogenic effects.

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23614584

Phosphatidylcholine (choline) is metabolized by intestinal acidophilic microbiota to form TMA, which is oxidized by the liver and become TMAO, a carcinogen that also increases cardiovascular events.

Dietary cholesterol increases HDL concentration & disrupts LDL:HDL ratio.

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9001684

The consumption of eggs increases the lipid peroxidation of plasma LDL.

Plasma cholesterol levels can contribute to cancer development, and increased concentrations of LDL receptors in tumors can negatively affect survival rate.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19327423

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16250264

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21122648

  • Effect of cholesterol crystals on plaques and intima in arteries of patients with acute coronary and cerebrovascular syndromes.
  • As cholesterol crystallized, the peak volume increased rapidly by up to 45% over 3 min and sharp-tipped crystals cut through and tore membranes. The amount of cholesterol and peak level of crystal growth correlated directly (r = 0.98; p < 0.01), as did the amount of cholesterol and rate of crystal growth

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15172426

– Lower LDL is physiologically optimal. The LDL cholesterol levels of hunters/gatherers, primates, and modern healthy humans is 50 to 70 mg/dl. The current guidelines are a product of the standard western diet, and at 100 to 115 mg/dl, it reflects the current CVD & diabetes epidemics.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11687015

  • Reduction in saturated fat intake can indicate a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17364116

  • Plant-based diets are associated with decreased triglycerides & LDL levels.