Eddie's Blog List

• According to recent research, nicotinamide, also known as niacinamide (a form of niacin or vitamin B3), enhances natural killer (NK) cells’ ability to defeat blood cancers

• Pretreating NK cells with an unspecified amount of niacinamide upregulated a lymphocyte homing molecule called CD26L, which improved the antitumor functions of the NK cells in several ways

• The combination of niacinamide-enhanced NK cells and monoclonal antibody treatment resulted in complete remission in 11 of 19 patients within 28 days, and three had partial response

• Niacinamide also protects your skin against ultraviolet radiation damage from the sun, thereby reducing your risk of skin cancer

• It’s also been shown to improve survival after cardiac arrest, primarily by restoring tissue NAD+, and can help prevent heart failure

According to recent research,

nicotinamide

(also known as niacinamide), a form of niacin (vitamin B3), enhances natural killer (NK) cells’ ability to defeat blood cancers.

Scientists have previously tried to use infusions of monoclonal antibodies mixed with NK cells as a novel treatment for blood cancers, with limited success. Now, researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered that the ability of NK cells to destroy cancer cells can be significantly augmented by pretreating them with niacinamide.

“The combination of niacinamide-enhanced NK cells and monoclonal antibody treatment resulted in complete remission in 11 of 19 patients within 28 days, and three had partial response.”

Doing so upregulated a lymphocyte homing molecule called CD26L, which improved the antitumor functions of the NK cells in several ways. Unfortunately, the paper doesn’t specify the dose used to achieve these beneficial effects.

As reported by Medical Xpress:

“‘Allogeneic natural killer cell adoptive transfer has shown the potential to induce remissions in relapsed or refractory leukemias and lymphomas,’ writes Dr. Frank Cichocki and colleagues in the journal.

‘Strategies to enhance natural killer cell survival and function are needed to improve clinical efficacy. We demonstrated that natural killer cells cultured ex vivo with interleukin-15 — IL-15 — and nicotinamide exhibited stable induction of l-selectin, a lymphocyte adhesion molecule important for lymph node homing’ …

In the small preliminary study, Cichocki and collaborators found that nicotinamide not only enhances the activity of natural killer cells but boosts their persistence in the blood and bolsters the capability of these cells not only to hunt down cancer cells, but to handily destroy them.

The combination of nicotinamide-enhanced natural killer cells and monoclonal antibody treatment was safe in 30 patients, including 20 with relapsed or difficult-to-treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Among 19 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 11 demonstrated a complete response and three had a partial response within 28 days of treatment.

Nicotinamide appears to protect the natural killer cells from oxidative stress, while enhancing their ability to home in on lymph nodes, the team found …

Natural killer cells treated with nicotinamide in the lab also demonstrated an increased ability to generate an inflammatory and toxic response against cancer cells.”

Another mechanism that can help explain how niacinamide improves the anticancer functions of NK cells is that it boosts the NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) level in the cells. As explained in the featured study:

“Elevated NAD+ in NK cells cultured with NAM [niacinamide] may also account for their enhanced function. Recent work has shown that NAD+ concentrations are low in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes relative to peripheral blood T cells, and NAD+ modulates human T cell function by regulating cellular energy metabolism.

In these studies, reduced NAD+ resulted in attenuated maximal respiratory capacity of mitochondria and concomitant decreases in adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP) and ATP.

In agreement with this work, we observed elevated ATP and increased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in NK cells cultured with NAM. These metabolic alterations correlated with enhanced natural cytotoxicity, ADCC, and inflammatory cytokine production.”

That niacinamide boosts NAD+ has also been demonstrated in other studies. For example, a September 2023 animal study in PLOS ONE found that niacinamide improves survival after cardiac arrest, primarily by restoring tissue NAD+. As explained in the abstract:

“Metabolic suppression in the ischemic heart is characterized by reduced levels of NAD+ and ATP. Since NAD+ is required for most metabolic processes that generate ATP, we hypothesized that nicotinamide restores ischemic tissue NAD+ and improves cardiac function in cardiomyocytes and isolated hearts and enhances survival in a mouse model of cardiac arrest.

Mouse cardiomyocytes were exposed to 30 min simulated ischemia and 90 min reperfusion. NAD+ content dropped 40% by the end of ischemia compared to pre-ischemia.

Treatment with 100 μM nicotinamide (NAM) at the start of reperfusion completely restored the cellular level of NAD+ at 15 min of reperfusion. This rescue of NAD+ depletion was associated with improved contractile recovery as early as 10 min post-reperfusion.

In a mouse model of cardiac arrest, 100 mg/kg NAM administered IV immediately after cardiopulmonary resuscitation resulted in 100% survival at 4 h as compared to 50% in the saline group.

In an isolated rat heart model, the effect of NAM on cardiac function was measured for 20 min following 18 min global ischemia. Rate pressure product was reduced by 26% in the control group following arrest.

Cardiac contractile function was completely recovered with NAM treatment given at the start of reperfusion. NAM restored tissue NAD+ and enhanced production of lactate and ATP, while reducing glucose diversion to sorbitol in the heart.

We conclude that NAM can rapidly restore cardiac NAD+ following ischemia and enhance glycolysis and contractile recovery, with improved survival in a mouse model of cardiac arrest.”

The 100 micromolar niacinamide solution used at the start of reperfusion equates to just 12.2 milligrams of niacinamide. But this was in an in-vitro cell study, not a human, and the key point is that this is still a very low dose and in line with the dose I have been recommending to optimize health, of 50 mg of niacinamide up to three times a day.

As detailed in “The Crucial Role of NAD+ in Optimal Health,” which features my interview with Nichola Conlon, Ph.D., a molecular biologist and antiaging specialist, NAD+ is one of the most important biomolecules in your body.

It’s involved in the conversion of food to energy, maintaining DNA integrity and ensuring proper cell function, including the maintenance and repair of cells.

Your NAD+ level declines with age, which is thought to be a major contributor to aging and age-related disease. The good news is there’s a simple and inexpensive way to boost your NAD+ level, namely niacinamide supplementation.

While other NAD+ precursors are typically recommended, like NR or NMN, they’re hundreds of times more expensive, and may be less effective. The reason I’m convinced niacinamide is the best NAD+ precursor is because it’s the immediate breakdown product of NAD+.

The rate limiting enzyme in the salvage pathway to restore niacinamide back to NAD+ is NAMPT. As you can see in the graphic below, niacinamide is first converted to NMN before NAD+. This is likely why many promote NMN.

However, the enzyme NMNAT1-3 that converts NMN to NAD+ is not the rate limiting enzyme. NAMPT controls how much NAD+ you make, so flooding your body with NMN is not going to be as useful as using small amounts of niacinamide and activating NAMPT.

Recent animal research

demonstrated that a low dose of 2.5 mg per kilo of body weight daily for three weeks — which is about 170 mg a day for a 150-pound person — increased cellular NAD+ by 30%. So, taking 50 mg of niacinamide three times a day appears ideal for most.

Niacinamide may also act as a preventive against heart failure

— again because heart failure is a localized symptom of energy deficiency and mitochondrial dysfunction. When your NAD+ level drops, your ATP level also drops, and this puts stress on the cardiomyocytes in your heart.

Cardiomyocytes are specialized cells in your heart that generate contractive force. Thusly stressed, the cardiomyocytes release pro-fibrotic mediators that further suppress mitochondrial function. Over time, this leads to cell death, collagen deposition and fibrosis, which are hallmarks of heart failure.

Research

published in February 2023 found that replenishing NAD+ prevented this energetic dysfunction, and therefore the subsequent development of heart failure. Here, the human-equivalent of 3.5 mg per kilo of bodyweight was administered via daily injection for two months, but I believe that oral niacinamide might be just as effective, although you might have to use it for a longer period of time.

Getting back to niacinamide’s potential role in cancer treatment, a 2015 study

found it helps protect your skin against ultraviolet radiation damage from the sun, thereby reducing your risk of skin cancer.

Three hundred eighty-six participants who’d had two or more nonmelanoma skin cancers in the previous five years were divided into two groups. The treatment group received 500 mg of niacinamide twice a day for 12 months while controls received a placebo.

The participants were evaluated by dermatologists at three-month intervals for 18 months. The primary end point was the number of new nonmelanoma skin cancers (i.e., basal-cell carcinomas plus squamous-cell carcinomas) during the 12-month intervention period.

At 12 months, the rate of new nonmelanoma skin cancers in the treatment group was 23% lower than among controls. They also had a 20% lower rate of new basal-cell carcinomas, and a 30% lower rate of new squamous-cell carcinomas. As a result, the authors concluded:

“Oral nicotinamide was safe and effective in reducing the rates of new nonmelanoma skin cancers and actinic keratoses in high-risk patients.”

A 2020 safety and efficacy review of niacinamide also pointed out that:

“Nicotinamide (or niacinamide), a form of vitamin B3 that is often confused with its precursor nicotinic acid (or niacin), is a low-cost, evidence-based oral treatment option for actinic keratosis, squamous cell carcinomas, basal cell carcinomas, and bullous pemphigoid.”

As a blanket recommendation for optimal health, I recommend taking 50 mg of niacinamide three times per day. Niacinamide will only cost you about 25 cents a month if you get it as a powder. Typically, one sixty-fourth of a teaspoon of niacinamide powder is about 50 mg.

The reason I recommend getting it in powder form is because in most supplement brands, the lowest available dose is 500 mg, and that will decrease NAD+ due to negative feedback on NAMPT, which is the opposite of what you’re looking for.

Also note that although niacinamide and niacin are both classified as vitamin B3, niacin will not activate NAMPT like niacinamide, so it is best to use niacinamide. Additionally, niacinamide, unlike niacin, will not cause flushing which is due to a large release of histamine.

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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked.

The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. The subscription fee being requested is for access to the articles and information posted on this site, and is not being paid for any individual medical advice.

If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

• Researchers from Korea compared lavender oil’s effects as a hair growth stimulant to the drug minoxidil (Rogaine)

• Lavender oil worked as well as minoxidil to significantly increase the number of hair follicles, deepen hair follicle depth and thicken the dermal layer

• In another study, massaging a mixture of essential oils, including lavender, into the scalp daily led to improvements in 44% of alopecia areata patients, compared to 15% of those in the control group

• Traditionally, lavender oil is used for stress relief and fatigue, and evidence suggests it may be effective for cellular growth, skin reproduction and alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss

• Peppermint oil also works “remarkably” well to promote hair growth compared to saline and jojoba oil, and regrows hair “even faster than” minoxidil

A healthy head of hair is widely regarded as a sign of beauty and vitality. So, for the significant number of men and women who experience hair loss and hair thinning, negative psychological consequences, including low self-esteem, anger and depression,

are common.

Hair also serves some important biological purposes, including cushioning your head against blows, keeping your scalp warm and providing a natural cover from excess sun. Heavy metals, including arsenic, mercury and zinc, are also excreted in your hair, serving as a detoxification aid.

With hair loss having effects that are more than skin deep, researchers have been on the hunt for products to stimulate hair growth. Here nature once again provides, with lavender oil coming out on top against the hair loss drug minoxidil (Rogaine).

In a study on mice, researchers from Korea set out to determine lavender oil’s effects as a hair growth stimulant compared to minoxidil, a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that’s the most common treatment for androgenetic alopecia, a common form of hair loss.

There are three cycles of hair growth.

The anagen phase is the growth phase in which the matrix cells of the hair follicle are fully pigmented and undergoing vigorous growth activities. Catagen is the resting phase, when activity decreases.

In the third phase, telogen, the hair detaches from the follicle and falls out. During normal hair cycles, about 90% of hair follicles are in the anagen phase, 1% are in the catagen phase and 9% are in the telogen phase.

In the case of pattern hair loss, “There appears to be a dysfunction and imbalance in hair cycling, resulting in a reduced length of anagen phase, increased proportion of hair in catagen/telogen phase and a shift toward the production of fine, short hairs,” researchers explained in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology.

Topical minoxidil works by inducing resting hair follicles into the anagen phase, shortening the telogen phase and prolonging the anagen phase. This leads to an increase in hair follicle volume.

Lavender oil, meanwhile, also has a number of active effects, due to compounds including linalyl acetate — which relaxes nerves — linalool, an antifungal, and geraniol. Traditionally, lavender oil is used for stress relief and fatigue, and evidence suggests it may be effective for cellular growth, skin reproduction and alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

For the Korean study, researchers applied lavender oil at concentrations of 3% or 5%, with minoxidil or jojoba oil as a control to the fur of mice five times a week for four weeks. Both lavender oil groups as well as the minoxidil group had a significantly increased number of hair follicles, deepened hair follicle depth and thickened dermal layer.

“These results indicated that LO [lavender oil] has a marked hair growth-promoting effect, as observed morphologically and histologically … Thus, LO could be practically applied as a hair growth-promoting agent,” the researchers noted.

Past research has found aromatherapy using lavender oil increased hair growth rates in people with alopecia areata.

Massaging a mixture of essential oils, including lavender, into the scalp daily led to improvements in 44% of alopecia areata patients, compared to 15% of those in the control group.

“Treatment with these essential oils was significantly more effective than treatment with the carrier oil alone,” researchers wrote in Archives of Dermatology.

Treatments for hair loss are limited and those that are available are saddled with risks. Minoxidil, which was originally created as a drug for high blood pressure, may cause increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, weight gain, edema and dermatitis, itching and scaling of the scalp.

Nontoxic support for hair loss is therefore urgently needed, and, along with lavender oil, peppermint oil is one such option. In a similar study on mice, researchers applied minoxidil, jojoba oil, saline or 3% peppermint oil to mice for four weeks.

Out of all the treatments, peppermint oil worked best, leading to the “most prominent hair growth effects.” This included a significant increase in dermal thickness, follicle number and follicle depth. Two biomarkers for enhanced hair growth — alkaline phosphatase and gene expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 — also significantly increased.

Not only did peppermint oil “remarkably” promote hair growth compared to saline and jojoba oil, but it did so “even faster than” minoxidil.

“These results suggest that PEO [peppermint oil] induces a rapid anagen stage and could be used for a practical agent for hair growth,” the team explained.

One way it works to promote hair growth is by relaxing vascular muscle, promoting blood circulation.

Hair loss has complex underlying causes. It can occur with age and genetic factors, but stress and nutritional imbalances also play a role.

In the case of alopecia areata, however, the immune system attacks healthy hair follicles, leading to varying degrees of hair loss.

Both genetics and environmental factors play a role in this autoimmune condition, but in the early stage, alopecia areata is associated with inflammation in the upper dermis skin layer.

As such, topical garlic

and onion juice may help. In one study, 23 people with alopecia areata applied onion juice twice daily for two months.

A control group of 15 people applied tap water over the same period. Significant differences were found, with onion juice leading to regrowth of terminal coarse hairs — the type that grows on your scalp and forms your eyelashes and eyebrows — after just two weeks.

By four weeks, 73.9% of those applying onion juice had hair re-growth, which increased to 86.9% by week six. Significantly more men (93.7%) experienced hair regrowth than women (71.4%). For comparison, only 13% of those in the tap water group had hair regrowth.

“The present study showed that the use of crude onion juice gave significantly higher results with regard to hair regrowth than did tap water (P<0.0001), and that it can be an effective topical therapy for patchy alopecia areata,” the researchers concluded.

Onion juice’s effectiveness of 86.9% is better than that of commonly used topical and systemic therapies for alopecia areata, including BCG immunotherapy, which has an effectiveness rate of 69%, and topical immunotherapy, which is 58% effective.

Onions are rich in anti-inflammatory quercetin, which also enhances the expression of the antioxidant enzyme catalase

in your scalp. This helps break down hydrogen peroxide that contributes to cell damage and thinning hair.

Antigenic competition — the inhibition of the immune system’s response to one antigen when another antigen is administered — may also help explain onion’s hair growth-stimulating effects. According to the team:

“Previous reports have stated that onion can induce allergic contact dermatitis in some individuals; however, more recent studies showed that onion extract can inhibit skin allergic reactions, suggesting that onion juice may induce an immunological reaction, possibly as a mild form of dermatitis that can stimulate hair re-growth through antigenic competition.

… If there were a relative lack of T-suppressor cells in the lymphocytic infiltrate of alopecia areata, the generation of non-specific T-suppressor cells might inhibit the ongoing autoimmune reaction. Another possible mechanism, is that onions belong to the genus Allium, which is rich in sulphur and phenolic compounds, both of which are known skin irritants. Onion may cause an irritant contact dermatitis.”

Applying potentially toxic topical drugs to your scalp is not the only option to stimulate hair growth. Other nontoxic options include:

1. Ginseng — This herb and its active compounds ginsenosides are known to promote hair growth.

   They help regulate the expression and activity of proteins involved in hair-cycling phases, including the induction of anagen and delaying of catagen phases.

2. Pine bark extract — This natural compound is heralded for its ability to improve hair density. A double blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study revealed pine park extract increased hair density by 30% among postmenopausal women after two months of treatment, and 23% after six months, with researchers suggesting it “might have the potential to reduce hair loss in postmenopausal women.”

3. Scalp massage — The relaxing stretching of skin on your scalp is a form of mechanical stress that may lead to increased hair thickness.

   Adding diluted rosemary oil to your scalp massage may improve results even more, with research showing it also works as well as minoxidil to increase hair count in people with hair loss. If you prefer, lavender oil or peppermint oil can also be used.

Nutritional factors should also be considered. When researchers assessed patients from the Center for Dermatology and Hair Diseases who arrived with complaints of hair loss, they found that 38% of the women had a biotin deficiency.

Biotin is a cofactor for an enzyme that is crucial in the metabolism of glucose, fatty acids and amino acids. It’s also used in the production of hormones and cholesterol.

You can find biotin in spinach, broccoli and sweet potatoes, as well as egg yolks, organ meats and dairy products. Malnutrition, iron deficiency anemia and thyroid disease are also linked to hair loss, as is telogen effluvium, which is when hair falls out after a major body stress. Side effects from some drugs, medical illness and a fungal infection of the scalp can also cause hair loss.

So, while applying lavender and peppermint oils, and onion juice, topically may help to support hair regrowth, it’s important to assess the underlying reasons why your hair is falling out, and seek a comprehensive lifestyle strategy to resolve it.

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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked.

The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. The subscription fee being requested is for access to the articles and information posted on this site, and is not being paid for any individual medical advice.

If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

• Eggs are considered one of the world’s most perfect foods, but became a target based on the faulty premise of the medical establishment that eating too many yolks would drive up cholesterol

• Chickens weren’t regarded as much beyond egg production until a new concept featuring chicken as a main course took flight in the late ’40s, based on the food industry’s initiative to find more uses for chickens

• Dense, small-particle LDL cholesterol in your body is a risk factor for heart disease risk, while large, fluffy LDL particles constitute a lower risk, but here’s the kicker: Eggs convert small LDL particles to large particles

• In the study, people with Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes ate 12, eight or two eggs per week for a year, after which a series of tests showed no negative health consequences whatsoever

• The 113 milligrams of choline (nearly 25% of your Daily Reference Intake or DRI) is crucial for pregnant women, as it helps to prevent certain birth defects, including spina bifida, and support the brain development of unborn babies

Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published May 21, 2018.

Chicken as the foundation of a delicious home-cooked meal has been an American mainstay for decades. Not centuries, you might ask? As a matter of fact, up until the 1920s, homesteaders filled chicken coops with chickens to fulfill one main purpose: to produce eggs.

Chickens weren’t regarded as much beyond egg production until a new concept featuring chicken as a main course took flight in the late ’40s. It was based, not surprisingly, on the food industry’s initiative to find more uses for said chickens. Today we have a plethora of chicken recipes, from broth to casseroles to fried, not to mention nuggets. But what happened to eggs?

Eggs became a target based on the faulty premise of the medical establishment that eating too many yolks would drive up cholesterol and pack your carotid arteries with plaque. As recently as 2012, eggs were still being maligned and even deemed as health-damaging as smoking cigarettes, according to a Canadian journal.

Many still believe this, and it’s the misinformation that’s damaging health, not egg consumption.

According to a study

led by Nick Fuller at the University of Sydney, Australia, and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eggs, “despite conflicting evidence continuing around the world,” are not responsible for heart disease or high cholesterol.

In fact, they’re one of the most nutritious foods in your kitchen. When he led the first portion of the study, Fuller wrote that eggs can support several aspects of health, including eye, blood vessel and heart health, healthy pregnancies and fat regulation, noting:

“Despite being vilified for decades, dietary cholesterol is understood to be far less detrimental to health than scientists originally thought. The effect of cholesterol in our food on the level of cholesterol in our blood is actually quite small.”

The latest study notes that people with Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes ate a dozen eggs a week for a year, at which point a series of tests showed no negative results whatsoever. Study participants consumed high (12), medium and low (two) eggs per week for the first three months. Times Now News explains:

“This was aimed at maintaining optimal weight for the three months. In a bid to lose weight, the same members were asked to embark on a weight loss plan while consuming the same amount of eggs they were consuming earlier. For six months, the participants continued on their consumption of eggs while they were monitored by the researchers.”

Prior to the study, Australian Men’s Health observes, cardiovascular risk factors such as blood sugar and blood pressure levels were taken into account when the researchers gathered the results, as those are considered risk factors associated with egg consumption.

Interestingly, the study concluded that the 128 individuals in the study lost weight even on a high-egg diet and continued to lose when the study came to a close.

Backing up the study results, the Australian Heart Foundation notes that “Eggs can be included as part of a heart healthy eating pattern, and can be chosen as one of a variety of protein foods including fish and seafood, legumes, nuts and seeds, and poultry, in preference to unprocessed red meat.”

As for the cholesterol content:

“Eggs don’t altercate the LDL levels in blood. An egg contains only 212 mg of cholesterol which is lesser than even the half recommended dietary allowance of cholesterol for a day. Since the liver already produces a large amount of cholesterol every day, consumption of eggs balances the ratio with the liver’s production. In fact, eggs increase the HDL or good cholesterol levels in your body.”

Cholesterol in your blood known as LDL is narrowed down to two subtypes: dense, small particles and large, fluffy particles. The dense small-particle LDL type is what can be identified as a risk factor for increasing your heart disease risk, while people with large LDL particles have a lower risk, but here’s the kicker: Eggs convert small LDL particles to large particles.

One of the biggest problems in the discussion regarding saturated fats and cholesterol is that the medical community hasn’t explained it to the public very well, probably because there’s a lot of confusion on the part of this collective majority.

The fact is, even though it may raise cholesterol, your lipid profile may actually improve when you eat more saturated fat, especially when you cut the amount of carbohydrates you consume, according to Dr. Aseem Malhotra, an interventional cardiologist consultant at Croydon University Hospital in London.

Saturated fat not only increases your HDL, it also increases large, fluffy LDLs, which is what you want. On top of that, LDL has been grossly exaggerated as a risk factor for heart disease, with the exception of people who have a genetic abnormality. Malhotra notes:

“The mantra that saturated fat must be removed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease has dominated dietary advice and guidelines for almost four decades. Yet scientific evidence shows that this advice has, paradoxically, increased our cardiovascular risks.

Furthermore, the government’s obsession with levels of total cholesterol, which has led to the overmedication of millions of people with statins, has diverted our attention from the more egregious risk factor of atherogenic dyslipidaemia [elevated levels of triglycerides and small-dense LDL and low levels of HDL cholesterol].”

Interestingly, many of the scientists who are noting the increase in egg consumption and its role in causing “high cholesterol” talk about saturated fat as if it’s still an enemy. Body and Soul explains:

“The truth is that cholesterol is a very important part of the body — and an essential element to good health. It is a structural molecule that is an essential part of every single cell membrane.

It is used to make steroid hormones such as testosterone, (estrogen) and cortisol; helps your metabolism work efficiently; and produces bile acids, which helps the body digest fat and absorb important nutrients. The truth is, without cholesterol we wouldn’t even exist.”

Instead of focusing on the faulty science that made you worry unnecessarily about consuming too much cholesterol, there are numerous reasons to go ahead and enjoy them. They’re loaded with vitamins and minerals; in fact, just one boiled egg imparts these very good-for-you nutrients, in terms of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI):

• 6% of the RDI in vitamin A

• 5% of the RDI in folate

• 7% of the RDI in vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

• 9% of the RDI in vitamin B12

• 15% of the RDI in protein

• 15% of the RDI in vitamin B2

• 9% of the RDI in phosphorus

• 22% of the RDI in selenium

In addition, eggs contain a healthy amount of calcium, zinc and vitamins D, K, E and B6, as well as healthy fats. Lutein and zeaxanthin are important antioxidants that build up in the retinas of your eyes. This effectively protects your vision by inhibiting the development of cataracts and macular degradation, two of the world’s most common and serious eye ailments.

Along with the high amounts of vitamin A, your vision is further defended with every egg you eat. Fuller reiterated that other nutritional advantages come through “micronutrients like carotenoids (for eye health), arginine (for healthy blood vessels) and folate (for healthy pregnancies and heart health),” according to the University’s news release.

One very important aspect of eggs is the rich source of choline — about 113 milligrams (mg) in a single egg, nearly 25% of your DRI — which is necessary for building cell wall membranes, producing the molecules crucial for brain signaling and to make the brain chemical acetylcholine, involved in storing memories.

It also helps prevent the buildup of homocysteine in your blood (linked to heart disease) and reduces chronic inflammation. Choline plays a crucial role in pregnant women, as it helps to prevent certain birth defects, including spina bifida and, again, is very important for the brain development of unborn babies.

According to a study published in the journal Nutrients, only 8% of U.S. adults are getting enough choline and only 8.5% of pregnant women are consuming adequate amounts.

Researchers added, “This research illustrates that it is extremely difficult to achieve the adequate intake for choline without consuming eggs or taking a dietary supplement.”

Conversely, symptoms associated with low choline levels include memory problems, lethargy and brain fog. Because your body can only synthesize small amounts at a time, you need to get it from your diet on a regular basis.

Perhaps just as important as what eggs do for your health may be what eggs do for your food. Not just for breakfast, eggs are used to make everything from healthy pancakes to egg salad. Incredible Egg

notes five of the egg’s top cooking functions; eggs:

• Bind ingredients in prepared foods like meatloaf and salmon patties

• Leaven baked “high-rises” such as soufflés and sponge cakes

• Emulsify mayonnaise, salad dressings and hollandaise sauce

• Clarify soups and thicken custards

• Add color, flavor, moisture and nutrients to baked goods

The good news is, some of the egg dishes you may have been avoiding, not to mention eggs by themselves, yolk and all, are back on the table. That said, it’s important to understand that not any old egg is “good” for eating. Organic, pastured eggs are the best by far, as they’re not produced in a CAFO, or concentrated animal feeding operation, which yields eggs far more likely to be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria such as Salmonella.

Everything you need to know about every aspect of egg production and what constitutes farm-fresh eggs can be found right here. You’ll note that the best way to eat your organic, pastured eggs is raw or very lightly cooked, such as poached, soft-boiled or over easy with very runny yolks. However, if you’re looking for something a little different, here’s a healthy, delicious recipe, inspired by Food.com:

Sweet Potato and Spinach Frittata

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 1/4 cups asiago cheese, shredded, divided

• 3/4 cup medium cheddar, shredded

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled, diced

• 4 cups spinach, coarsely chopped

Procedure:

1. Position oven rack 6-inches from broiler. Preheat broiler.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, 3/4 cup of the Asiago cheese, cheddar cheese, and milk.

3. In a 12-inch non-stick oven-proof skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add sweet potatoes. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sweet potatoes are almost tender.

4. Add spinach and cook, uncovered for 1-2 minutes or until slightly wilted.

5. Reduce heat to medium-low; pour egg mixture over vegetables; cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until bubbles are coming through mixture and bottom is golden brown (eggs won’t be fully set).

6. Remove cover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Asiago cheese.

7. Broil for 1 1/2 minutes or until egg is set and cheese is bubbling and slightly browned.

8. Let stand for 5 minutes; run spatula around outside edge of skillet to release frittata. Slice and serve immediately.

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