Death From Egging
“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”
– Mark Twain
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has released a study that suggests eating seven or more eggs a week may cause a higher risk of earlier death. That is, if you are a middle-aged man with diabetes and a tendency for health problems, and you hold your mouth the wrong way. In fact, one headline read “Killer Eggs” which implies that eggs will kill you if you piss them off or eat more than seven a week.
Those of us who write blogs or news stories, know that people don’t read; they skim. What will stick in the minds of those who read “Killer Eggs?” Don’t eat eggs, of course. Eggs bad, Jane. Not eat eggs no more.
If this is such a ridicules study why bring it up? I use this story as an example of how important it is to examine a story for details before drawing conclusions. Headlines are catchy, meant to draw the reader in, and when it concerns health, what better way than fear? Fear, the great motivator, will get a reaction every time, unless you read the fine print and use critical thinking.
The bottom line of this article is, there is no bottom line. As we age we become more and more concerned with health. Our inspiration is simple - most of us don’t want to die immediately after turning 60. Neither do we want to live the life of a stoic, denying ourselves the pleasure of eating tasty food.
Dr. Robert Eckel of the University of Colorado and a former president of the American Heart Association made this comment:
“But remember, eggs are like all other foods — they are neither good nor bad, and they can be part of an overall heart-healthy diet.”
The same can be said of most studies. They are neither good nor bad. But they are funded, in many cases by a corporation with an agenda (read, $$). Think about that the next time you see a billboard with cows holding signs that admonish, “Eat more Chicken.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t think the cows are deeply committed to chicken slaughter as a means of self preservation.
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Mari Adkins:
It’s like everything else - anything in excess is bad. ;)
May 2008Hb:
True, but some things are more fun than others. :-)
May 2008Mari Adkins:
There is that. :)
Why, just a few minutes ago, Preston was talking about coming home and finding me in a chocolate coma. All because he opened the pantry and saw a container of whipped chocolate cake icing sitting beside three 1/2 pound size Hershey bars…
May 2008Hal:
LOL! That’s approximately a bunch of chocolate all right. I like chocolate too, and way too many other foods to excess. Now I’m wondering about chocolate eggs - but Easter has come and gone.
In fact, I eat dark chocolate for health. I’m mean as in 85% cocoa. It is a little bitter until you develop a taste for it. The way to avoid the bitterness is to add a dab of peanut butter.
Dang, all the way from the hen-house to dark chocolate.
May 2008Mari Adkins:
Chocolate eggs. LMAO
I can’t do the chocolate over 50% cacao - the caffeine content starts to rise and hurts me. I have serious issues with caffeine, the least of which is that it puts me to sleep. :) Sad thing is, like you said, dark chocolate is so good for you, and it tastes so…lovely…:swoons:
May 2008Hal:
I don’t think I ever heard of going to sleep from caffeine. But then the cosmos is filled with things I don’t know.
May 2008I actually have a piece of dark chocolate with my coffee in the morning. Now that I think of it, I get a little sleepy a few hours later.
Hmm…
Mari Adkins:
It happens.
And for me, it doesn’t take a few hours; it’s almost instantaneous - although with your piece of chocolate with coffee, I can see how it could take a while. :)
I’ve learned a lot about how it affects me now that I’ve been off of it for four years. It’s been unreal.
May 2008Hal:
Love the coffee. I can give up the chocolate, but the coffee will have to be pried from my cold dead hands. OTOH, I should cut back a little. Couple of cups in the morning would do.
May 2008Mari Adkins:
I used to say that about coffee, too. I drank three (yes three) 12-cup pots a day - and wondered why I couldn’t keep my eyes open and why I ached so bad. :(
May 2008Hal:
Incredible! That would kill me. I drink about 3 cups in the morning. If I try it in the afternoon, I’m up in the middle of the night. If you can stand it, I think a cup or two is good for you. Like wine, a little bit goes a long way. I also like tea, iced or warm. Still have to watch the caffeine. The bottom line is, all things in moderation. Balance has always worked for me.
May 2008Mari Adkins:
Balance is a good thing.
Since going off it, I’ve found that caffeine is great for migraines. I have to deal with the bodily aches and pains later, but that’s nothing compared to a migraine. :) If it’s a really bad one and late at night, I can pop a Mountain Dew - the migraine dwindles to tolerable levels and I’m out for the count. LOL
May 2008Hal:
I’ve never had a migraine. But it sounds awful.
May 2008Mari Adkins:
I’d rather go through childbirth again to have a migraine.
May 2008Hal:
That is so descriptive I’m going to keep it as a quote. I’ve endured some pain that I would never have thought I could - sometimes pain happens, with surgery, wars or whatever. How good it is that we don’t remember the pain itself, but only the memory of it.
May 2008Mari Adkins:
ROFLMAO
People say you don’t remember the pain of childbirth. Personally, I remember every second - with both boys. OY!!
But yes, for the most part, yes. It’s odd that we keep the memory. :)
May 2008sablonneuse:
I read somewhere that if you took too much notice of all the ‘healthy eating’ advice you’d probably end up being paranoid about eating anything at all.
May 2008You’re quite right about reading an article carefully instead of jumping to conclusions from the headlines and we do have to remember that all such articles should be examined for a hidden aganda as well.
Hal:
To quote Hamlet:
May 2008“…there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”