from Thomas Behrenbeck, M.D., Ph.D.

Chicken eggs are high in cholesterol, and a diet high in cholesterol can contribute to high blood cholesterol levels. However, how much the cholesterol in your diet can increase your blood cholesterol varies from person to person. Although eating too many eggs can increase your cholesterol, eating four egg yolks or fewer on a weekly basis hasn't been found to increase your risk of heart disease.

When deciding whether to include eggs in your diet, consider the recommended daily limits on cholesterol in your food:

If you are healthy, it's recommended that you limit your dietary cholesterol to less than 300 milligrams (mg) a day.
If you have cardiovascular disease, diabetes or a high low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") blood cholesterol level, you should limit your dietary cholesterol to less than 200 mg a day.
One large egg has about 186 mg of cholesterol — all of which is found in the yolk. Therefore, if you eat an egg on a given day, it's important to limit other sources of cholesterol for the rest of that day. Consider substituting servings of vegetables for servings of meat, or avoid high-fat dairy products for that day.

If you like eggs but don't want the extra cholesterol, use only the egg whites. Egg whites contain no cholesterol. You may also use cholesterol-free egg substitutes, which are made with egg whites.

Q:What are the benefits of soy?
A:Soy is an excellent source of plant protein. Adequate protein intake is very important when on a low-calorie diet, so that muscle loss can be prevented.

Muscle burns more calories than fat does. The more muscle you have in relation to fat, the higher your metabolic rate. When on a low-calorie diet, not eating enough to build or maintain muscles will result in less muscle available to continue to burn calories.

Soy protein stands out among all plant proteins for its benefits to human health. The highly nutritious soy has twice as much protein as meat, four times that of chicken eggs and 12 times that of cow’s milk. Besides, it contains calcium, folic acid, fiber, vitamins and phytochemicals. Soy is also low in fat, cholesterol free and high in fiber.

Soy isoflavones help lower cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. They can also help prevent osteoporosis.


Q:Are plant proteins more beneficial to health than animal proteins?
A:Compared to animal proteins, plant proteins such as soy protein are more easily absorbed by the body. Plant proteins provide the body with essential nutrients but with less fat and fewer calories. Besides, soy is rich in phytochemicals to effectively boost immune functions. The American Diabetes Association hails soy as the ideal source of protein for diabetics as soy does not burden the kidneys. Soy protein is a plant protein. Hence, it does not contain any animal hormones or fats, making it the healthier choice.


Q:What is a low-carbohydrate diet? Is it a healthy way to lose weight?
A:People on a low-carbohydrate diet cut out all carbohydrates from their diet and increase their intake of protein and fat. For example, they do not eat bread, rice and pasta but eat lots of meat, cheese and butter. Weight loss occurs quickly in the short run. However, most of the weight loss comes from loss of water and muscle tissue, not fat, which is what you need to lose to keep the weight off. Muscle burns more calories than fat does. A decrease in the amount of muscle tissue will make it harder to keep the weight off once you stop following a low-carbohydrate diet.
Low-carbohydrate diets are not healthy. They allow very small amounts of fruit and vegetables and do not provide a balanced intake of nutrients. The high intake of meat for a prolonged period of time also puts one at risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer. A diet rich in animal protein also puts a huge strain on the kidneys.