If you take the pertinent information from the article that Keith referenced that talks about "larger" LDL's and supplement the information given below by Dr. Sinatra concerning "fluffy" LDL's, one begins to see that whole eggs (Especially free-range, which supply more nutrients such as an increased amount of omega-3 fatty acids, for example) can be consumed without increasing the harmful, small-particle LDL's, which are more inflammatory than the "fluffy" or large-particle LDL's.
In her article, "Reevaluating Eggs' Cholesterol Risks," Janet Raloff reported, "Moreover, the new study showed that when people ate three or more eggs per day their bodies made bigger LDL- and HDL-lipoprotein particles than when they ate no eggs. That's important because other recent studies have suggested that larger (Dr. Sinatra calls them "fluffy") LDLs are less likely than small ones to enter artery walls and contribute their cholesterol load to artery-clogging plaque. "Similarly, larger HDLs are more robust than smaller ones at hauling cholesterol out of the bloodstream and, ultimately, out of the body, notes the lead researcher for the new study, Christine M. Greene."
Modern Tests More Accurately Define Individual Heart Disease Risk
"Dr. Sinatra points out that today there are far more sophisticated tests that can differentiate different kinds of cholesterol to determine your heart disease risk based on your individual cholesterol makeup, as opposed to trying to squeeze everyone into a specific total cholesterol range."
"He urges every clinician to use a cholesterol fractionation test these days, along with a subfractionated lipid panel. The first measures total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. The subfractionated lipid panel further differentiates the various subclasses of Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL), meaning it measures your mean particle size, and that can make all the difference in the world."
"If you fractionate the LDL, and discover that you have what Dr. Sinatra refers to as "fluffy" LDL, in other words, large buoyant LDL particles that are not oxidized, and therefore not inflammatory, then having a high LDL level is not a concern in terms of heart disease risk. These LDL's, while conventionally thought of as "bad" cholesterol, are actually harmless. Small-particle LDL's on the other hand, are more inflammatory, and because of their tiny size can get stuck and cause problems in your arteries."
"I still wouldn't treat small particle LDL in the absence of any documented coronary disease," Dr. Sinatra says. "I would use niacin (as Nelson pointed out) for example. Niacin can change small particle LDL and make it fluffy. Certainly, the tocotrienols—I've had good luck with delta tocotrienol. Even nattokinase. I have seen it not only thinning the blood but [also]… LDL becoming more buoyant.
I would reserve statin drugs for, again, documented cases of coronary artery disease and again particularly middle-aged males. If I did have cholesterol problems or inflammatory cholesterol subtypes, I would try to treat the patient with weight loss and exercise and nutraceutical support first, before I would consider a statin drug."
Two Ratios that are Potent Indicators of Heart Disease
"Additionally, the following two ratios are far better indicators of heart disease risk than total cholesterol alone:
Your HDL/Cholesterol ratio-- HDL percentage is a very potent heart disease risk factor. Just divide your HDL level by your cholesterol. This percentage should ideally be above 24 percent. Below 10 percent, it's a significant indicator of risk for heart disease.
Your Triglyceride/HDL ratios—Divide your triglycerides by your HDL level. This percentage should ideally be below 2."
In conclusion, the above evidence suggests that even when whole eggs did increase cholesterol (in hyperresponders), Greene told Science News Online that "all of the increase went into large [lipoprotein] particles,"which appear to be harmless. Therefore, it appears that we can continue to enjoy multiple eggs daily without concern for our health. However, if you have hyperlipidemia, it would still be prudent to limit saturated and trans fats in your diet as a precautionary measure.
