More on the Egg Debate

[BakerAunt]

Here is one story on the recent study on eggs that we've been discussing a bit in the Quiz thread:

https://www.bicycling.com/news/a26881518/are-eggs-healthy/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_byc&utm_medium=email&date=032119&src=nl&utm_campaign=16334605

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[Mike Nolan]

I'm not sure I've got the technical chops, much less the time and access, to read the actual JAMA article, but I do kind of wonder if the popular press articles on it aren't a bit like the 7 blind men describing an elephant, each seeing just a small piece.

[RiversideLen]

You have to wonder though, are the eggs bad, or is the butter/margarine on the toast, the fats used to cook the eggs in, or the salted fatty meats that are often associated with an egg breakfast. If you have boiled or poached, you're not having any added fat to the eggs. It bothers me that no one has figured that out. I wonder if when those studies are made, when people are asked about their egg consumption, if they are asked about butter/margarine, bacon/ham/sausage consumption?

[aaronatthedoublef]

The Bicycling article is good. The WSJ article (behind a paywall) pointed out that the data was based on correlation not causation and as my mom used to say about things like this, publish or perish.

Len, your point was raised when the very first study saying eggs were bad was published years ago. There stories on the news showing people frying eggs in bacon fat talking about how bad the eggs were. 😉

[Mike Nolan]

When I was in grad school I took several courses on statistics for researchers, proving causality is difficult in the laboratory and nearly impossible in the real world.

[chocomouse]

In grad school, I had a couple of required courses related to scientific research which thoroughly covered correlation and causation. So many people don't know there's a difference, and I'm not sure how and when the average person is supposed to learn about that. I think most high schools have statistics courses these days, but not required for the entire student population.

[Mike Nolan]

I don't think a course in statistics was required of the journalism majors at Northwestern when I went there. I was an engineering major, I took lots of courses in math, mostly things like calculus and differential equations, but I did take one course in probability theory as an undergrad and then several course in social science research methodology and statistics in grad school.

Of the various articles I've read based on the recent JAMA article, this one appears to be fairly well balanced:
Eggs and Cholesterol

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for posting the link, Mike. Given the issues, maybe JAMA needs to look at its review process for articles.

Since I started my low-saturated fat way of eating, what I've noticed is the huge amount of butter in so much baking. I subscribe to Bake from Scratch and I buy KAF's Sift. With BFS, I'm lucky if there are two recipes per issue that do not require copious amounts of butter, and these are the kind of recipes where oil substitution is unlikely to work (most cookies, scones, brioches). I can usually get a few more recipes from Sift by substituting oil into some of the bread recipes.

Cheese is also a major source of saturated fat. I'm still trying to locate a 2% cheese in my vicinity. Until then, I use Mozzarella made with part skim milk.

I bought a recent magazine issue on Heart Healthy Recipes, which includes some recipes that I plan to try. Since one of the consultants is with the Mayo Clinic, I decided that the information is likely to be reasonably accurate. In addition to discussions on food myths about avoiding eggs and all fats (healthy fats are needed), it surprised me with a discussion of Vitamin K2, which is not the same as the Vitamin K listed on my multivitamin. The discussion of Vitamin K has been split. K1 comes from plants. K2 comes through animal foods. It then listed item such as full-fat dairy, beef, egg yolks, fermented cheeses (arent' they all fermented?)--especially Gouda--goose liver (!), and miso. I looked online, but did not find a lot about K2--perhaps I was not looking in the right place--although one site mentioned dark chicken meat. There was also discussion that the milk, beef and eggs needed to come from "pasture-fed" cows and hens. K2 needs fat to be absorbed.

OK--most people will not be able to get the grass-fed beef and dairy, and for some, cost will be a factor. The only item on their list that I do eat regularly is eggs--mostly in baking and occasionally as a one-egg omelet. We also do a lot of chicken thighs, but I doubt those are chickens eating the requisite food.

The study that I found online was touting K2 as good for LOTS of issues. I take that as likely overreach, since we saw that with Vitamin D claims on heart health, cancer, etc. that have now been called into question. My latest issue of Consumer Reports On Health even claims that there is not strong evidence that the Vitamin D my doctor prescribed and I have been taking will even help with bones.

Vitamin K2, according to the magazine that sent me on this online search, is the element that helps Vitamin D do its work with calcium. I've heard that before, and one of the articles I examined made that case, but in the past it was only listed as Vitamin K. Looking at K1 and K2 as separate seems to be more recent.

I am now thoroughly confused, so I will continue keeping the saturated fat low in baked goods by using butter sparingly, and I'll eat a varied diet, as the article that Mike posted suggests.

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by BakerAunt.
• This reply was modified 5 years ago by BakerAunt.

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