Sacred Vessel | A Functional Medicine & Acupuncture Clinic | Fort Collins, CO
  • Home
  • The Team
  • Services
    • Functional Medicine
    • Maternity Functional Medicine
    • Acupuncture
    • Women's Health
    • Pregnancy and Childbirth
    • Acupuncture Pain Management & Injury
    • Birth Doula
  • Books/Downloads
    • Books
    • Downloads
  • SCHEDULE CONSULT
  • Articles
  • Contact Me

Educate. Thrive.

Your resource for health and wellness information

The Incredible Egg & Cholesterol

8/31/2017

0 Comments

 
We eat A LOT of eggs! In fact, we now have chickens, 13 to be exact, and we were so afraid we would be overrun with eggs. It is actually just the right amount for our family of 4 and our egg usage. Eggs are one of my foundation breakfast items...I typically eat one every morning. 

Many of you grew up thinking that only the whites were good for you and that you should limit your yolk quantity (based on poorly performed research....long story). Please eat the yolks, that is where the nutrition is. An egg supplies almost everything you and your children need, nutritionally, except for the minerals found in the shell. 
Picture

Is it Healthy to Give my Children That Much Cholesterol?

The answer in simple terms is, YES! It is very healthy, and almost essential to your growing child's needs. Children NEED dietary cholesterol and actually quite a bit of it. 

Oh, that poor nutritional myth that dietary cholesterol increases heart disease. If you are still living this lie, change now. In fact, research, and dietary common sense, point to the opposite. In fact, having too little dietary cholesterol can cause an increase in LDL back cholesterol...okay, I am getting way off track here...children Sarah, we are talking children's diets (more on this at some other point, cause it is important for us grown ups).

So, back to children and dietary cholesterol! I want to talk specifically about this! There are so many other nutrients in eggs that are important for your child's health: 13 different vitamins and minerals, choline for brain health, protien for growing muscles, and Omega 3 Fatty Acids. But, today our focus is on the cholesterol, which many of you will be amazed to know is essential for your growing child.

Cholesterol for Learning and Memory

​The brains of our children are growing like crazy! They are learning new things every single days, whether it is learning to walk, or learning Calculus. With each new thing that our children learn, new nerves must be formed, and multiple neurological functions must occur to store memories, and hold onto this knowledge. 

This is where cholesterol comes in. The brain NEEDS cholesterol to work properly. The process of developing neurons for learning and memory is called synaptogenesis. Synaptogenesis requires cholesterol. The synapses between nerve cells in the brain is how they communicate. The more you have the quicker your brain can make connects, and the more effectively you can learn. This is important for our children who are making new connections every day. In an in vitro experiment done in Europe, external cholesterol was added to neuron, in culture. With this cholesterol exposure, neuron formation multiplied, leading scientists to conclude that cholesterol was vital to the formation of healthy nerve connections.

The understanding of cholesterol is complicated and involves many different parts of the body at different times, for different reasons. LDL and HDL bound cholesterols cannot cross the blood brain barrier, but the Liver has this really cool ability to convert cholesterol in the body (diet) into a form of cholesterol that CAN cross the blood brain barrier, and affect different receptors that contribute to brain neuron health. And this is why studies show that dietary cholesterol positively influences learning tasks.

Cholesterol and Hormones

Even if you're not dealing with a tween, whose hormones are raging, your child's hormone development and health is important.

Next to the brain, the biggest user of cholesterol is the endocrine (hormone) systems. Cholesterol is the foundation of our steroid hormones (DHEA, testosterone, estrone, estradiol, pregnenolone, progesterone, cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone, and others). Without dietary cholesterol, these hormones don't exist. 

Sex hormone imbalances in adolescence (especially young women) are become all too common. These hormones do more in the body than work on reproduction. Estradiol is necessary for the process we discussed above, the conversion of body cholesterol into a form that can pass through the blood brain barrier. 

Testosterone is responsible for the growth of muscles and bone. Typically there is a burst of testosterone with each growth spurt.

Proper cortisol levels help your child navigate new experiences, and regulate their fight or flight response. 

Many neurotransmitters needed for brain health, learning, memory, and attentiveness (Dopamine, GABA, Serotonin, Melatonin, Acetylcholine) are regulated by steroid hormones. Children who struggle with attentiveness often have lowered levels of steroid hormones. In fact the drug Ritalin is used to stimulate the production of a specific steroid hormone found low in ADHD children, DHEA. It is hypothesised that ADHD children need more cholesterol and fat than those without ADHD, because they need more steroid hormone. 

Cholesterol and Vitamin D

The new pediatric guidelines recommend supplementing ALL children with Vitamin D3. Why? Because Vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic.

Do you know how Vitamin D is made?

Cholesterol, yes cholesterol, is the foundation of Vitamin D. UVB rays from the sun that enter the tissues come into contact with circulating cholesterol. With the help of zinc, UVB radiation changes cholesterol into Vitamin D.

Now, here is the kicker...why is everyone deficient. How, I have no way of researching, but I have my theories (and many scientists and research share the same view). My theory combines several different issues into one big problem.
  1. Diets are typically low in fats and cholesterols (because of nutritional myths that were pushed on the population decades ago, and just can't seem to die.). We have an irrational fear of cholesterol and fats, leading us to limit our intake...we need way more than we give ourselves credit for.
  2. Diets low in zinc. Zinc is a trace mineral that we should be able to get in adequate amounts, but with soil depletion, and poor dietary choices, deficiency is common. Many practitioners (including myself) can administer a simple zinc deficiency taste test to determine zinc levels...it is in office and immediate
  3. Overuse of sunscreen, which blocks all the UVB rays needed to convert cholesterol in Vitamin D.

So, based on this, my theory goes: Because we are nutritionally deficiency, and/or blocking the UVB rays needed, we are limiting our ability to process Vitamin D and thus becoming deficient. 

Cholesterol and Zinc, almost, like an internal sunblock, grabbing the sun's rays and converting them into a needed hormone (yes Vitamin D is a steroid hormone).

Other Cholesterol Functions

There are many other functions of cholesterol, that for time, I want to quickly highlight.
  • Cholesterol makes up the outer layer of each of our cells. Without adequate cholesterol, the cell walls are fragile and weak.
  • Cholesterol makes Bile, and Bile digests fats and cholesterol.

Breakfast of Champions: 
Broccoli cheese Frittata

Who doesn't like the combination of broccoli and cheese? I know I do, and my kids definitely do! This is also a great way to use leftover vegetables. 

I have my, super awesome, tiny cast iron skillet that I use to make these single egg frittatas. I highly recommend getting one!
Picture

Previous Breakfast of Champions posts:

Breakfast of Champions 1: Kid Friendly Breakfast Ideas

​Continue...
Breakfast of Champions 3: Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Porridge & Glucose
Breakfast of Champions 4: Easy Yogurt Parfaits & CLA
Breakfast of Champions 5: Banana Buckwheat Pancakes & Choosing Grains
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Acetylcholine
    Acrylamides
    Acupuncture
    Addiction
    Adrenal
    Allergies And Asthma
    Amniotic Fluid
    Androstenedione
    Anthocyanines
    Anti Inflammatory
    Antioxidants
    Anxiety & Depression
    Autoimmune
    Avocado Oil
    Bananas
    BCAA
    Berries
    Beta Carotene
    Birth Control
    Bone Broth
    Boron
    Breakfast
    Bromelain
    B Vitamins
    Calcium
    Cancer
    Candida
    Carbohydrates
    Cardiovascular
    Celiac
    Chemotherapy
    Cholesterol
    Choline
    Chromium
    Chronic Pain
    Cinnamon
    CLA
    Coconut Oil
    CoEnzyme Q10
    Conception Nutrition
    Copper
    Cortisol
    Curcumin
    Dairy
    Dates
    DHEA
    Dopamine
    Drug-Nutrients
    EFA's
    Eggs
    Electrolytes
    Endometriosis
    Environmental Exposure
    Estrogen
    Evening Primrose
    Fatigue
    Fats
    Fermented Soy
    Fertility
    Fiber
    Fish
    Food Allergies
    Fructose
    FSH
    GABA
    Genetics
    Gestational Diabetes
    GI Inflammation
    Ginger
    Glucose
    Glycemic Index
    Glycemic Load
    GnRH
    Grains
    Grassfed Butter
    Group B Strep
    Gynecology
    Healthy Diet
    Herbs
    Honey
    Hormones
    Hyaluronic Acid
    Hydration
    Hypertension
    Immune Health
    Inflammation
    Insulin Resistance
    Iodine
    Iron
    Joint Health
    Labor And Delivery
    Leafy Greens
    Legumes
    LH
    Linoleic Acid
    Liver
    Lunchbox
    Macronutrients
    Magnesium
    Manganese
    Maternity Nutrition
    Melatonin
    Melons
    Mental Health
    Microbiome
    Micronutrients
    Migraine
    Minerals
    Miscarriage
    Molybdenum
    Monounsaturated Fats
    Morning Sickness
    Natural Opioids
    Neurotransmitters
    Nutrition
    Nuts And Seeds
    Obesity
    Omega 3
    Omega 6
    Organ Meat
    Oxalic Acid
    Oxidative Stress
    Oxytocin
    PCOS
    Pediatrics
    Pesticides
    Phosphorus
    Polyunsaturated Fats
    Postpartum Hemorrhaging
    Potassium
    Potatoes
    Preconception
    Preeclampsia
    Pregnancy
    Pregnenolone
    Prenatal Nutrition
    Preservatives
    Preterm Labor
    Probiotics
    Progesterone
    Prostaglandins
    Protein
    Quercitin
    Saturated Fats
    Selenium
    SIBO
    Sleep & Insomnia
    Sodium
    Stress
    Sugar
    Supplements
    Testosterone
    Thyroid
    Type 2 Diabetes
    Vitamin A
    Vitamin C
    Vitamin D
    Vitamin E
    Vitamin K
    Vitamins
    Women's Health
    Xenoestrogens
    Zinc

    Archives

    September 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    August 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    September 2017
    August 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    October 2014
    February 2014
    August 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013

    RSS Feed

2001 S. Shields St, Bldg H-101
​Fort Collins, CO 80526
​info@sacredvesselacupuncture.com
(970) 631-8119

Join the list!

* indicates required

​Copyright © 2021 Sacred Vessel Acupuncture & Functional Medicine, All rights reserved
Photos used under Creative Commons from kthread, Smabs Sputzer, cottonseedoil, fourpointgo, hill.josh, Lizard10979, marniejoyce, mrgreen09, nosha, Pai Shih, juniatha, I woz ere, seelensturm, Kaua'i Dreams, Rumalowa, quinn.anya, ruurmo, net_efekt
  • Home
  • The Team
  • Services
    • Functional Medicine
    • Maternity Functional Medicine
    • Acupuncture
    • Women's Health
    • Pregnancy and Childbirth
    • Acupuncture Pain Management & Injury
    • Birth Doula
  • Books/Downloads
    • Books
    • Downloads
  • SCHEDULE CONSULT
  • Articles
  • Contact Me