This episode of JJ Virgin's Ask the Health Expert addresses whether eating eggs raises blood cholesterol. After several sponsor ad reads, JJ reads a listener question and Dr. Steven Masley explains that for most people dietary cholesterol (including eggs) has minimal effect on blood cholesterol because the liver produces most cholesterol; he recommends eating eggs several times per week and choosing organically pasture-raised eggs. The transcript also contains other promotional segments and a short plug for Anne Bogle's podcast.
Chapters
Hey JJ Here. Every year around this time, I get the urge to make my home feel a little extra special. A space that feels just like the holidays. And Wayfair is my go to for that. Think cozy textures, twinkly decor, warm lighting, and all those little touches that make you want to curl up with a good book and a blanket. You'll usually find my books stacked on a great little end table I got from Wayfair, proof that function and style can coexist. Now, whether you're adding last minute hosting essentials, picking out gifts for loved ones, or refreshing your decor for the season, Wayfair makes it easy with beautiful finds, great prices and fast delivery. And when the holidays wind down, Wayfair has everything you need to tuck it all neatly away. Smart storage solutions for every room from the kitchen to the closet. Plus, with free shipping for any order over $35, that's fast delivery and a total peace of mind. It's the perfect mix of joy and order, bringing the holiday spirit in, then storing it all with ease. If you're ready to make your home feel as good as it looks, get organized, refreshed and ready for the holidays. For way less head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair Every style, every home. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R.com hey, it's JJ here. You know, I've been talking about environmental toxins forever, and laundry detergent is a sneaky one. A lot of them contain harsh chemicals like dyes, preservatives, and even UV brighteners. Those brighteners don't actually clean anything. They just coat fabric so your eyes think things look whiter or brighter. That's more chemicals I don't want on my family's sheets or skin. And if you've got sensitive skin or allergies around the house, this can be a big problem. That's what got my attention about Earth Breeze. It looks like a dryer sheet, but it's actually laundry detergent. You toss one in the washer and that's it. No pouring, no mess, and no heavy plastic jug. Their packaging is lightweight cardboard, which helps reduce plastic waste. And if you choose the fragrance free option, it's gentle, hypoallergenic, non irritating and non sensitizing. I really like how simple it is and how fresh and clean everything comes out without those unnecessary chemicals. Right now you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off with free gifts@earthbreeze.com virgin that's earthbreeze.com virgin for up to 40% off plus free gifts on your first order. Saving on your education should be a right, not a competition. At University of Phoenix, you'll get the best scholarship or savings you qualify for. Simple as that. Explore scholarship options at University of Phoenix does eating eggs raise your cholesterol? This is JJ Virgin, four time New York Times bestselling author, celebrity nutrition expert, and Fitness hall of Famer. I've been on a lifelong quest for answers to the toughest health questions, and now I'm sharing what I found with you. Welcome to Ask the health exper.
From.
WEEB 1.2 on Instagram. Egg has been known to have a lot of cholesterol, so will it directly impact your blood levels of cholesterol? I'm really looking forward to clearing up this urban legend. And I've got Dr. Steven Masley, physician, chef and nutritionist and Author of the 30 Day Heart Tune up up next to answer this. Stay with me. Hey, it's J.J. here. Now, let's be honest. The holidays are basically a financial ambush. Travel, hosting gifts, surprise holiday school things. Suddenly you're wondering how December turned into a spending spree. If you want to keep your finances under control this holiday season, you need to be using Monarch. It's rated the Wall Street Journal's best budgeting app of 2025. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface on your laptop or your phone. What really grabbed my attention is how fast those little holiday expenses pile up with Monarch. Seeing everything in one place makes it a lot harder to accidentally overspend. And honestly, I appreciate anything that keeps me from starting January with a money hangover. You'll love exploring the holiday spending category. Imagine how good it will feel to actually see what's happening before your credit card statement does that whole dramatic reveal thing. Monarch basically shows you exactly where the money is going in real time, and that level of clarity could change everything, right? Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use the code virgin@monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year. @monarch.com with code Virgin, the holidays are all about family.
But at the Chrysler Wrap of the Year sales event, it's all about you. Enjoy every mile in the most awarded minivan in America, the Chrysler Pacifica, with the most standard safety features in its class, available Stow n Go seating, and the available Stow and back built in vacuum. Make the most of the holidays with a great deal at the Chrysler Pacifica Wrap up the year sales event based on Ward's small van segment. Based upon the latest available competitor information, Chrysler is a registered trademark of FCA US llc.
Well, the shorter answer is no. Eating eggs isn't going to have much impact in your cholesterol at all. But let me talk a little bit about the background behind that. Cholesterol is a fatty compound that exists throughout our body. It's in the cell membranes of our cell walls. So every cell in your body has cholesterol in it. To protect your cell from external sources, the nerves in your body have a coating, a sheath like the plastic wire, that protects the wire in the electrical components. Cholesterol protects our cells, protects our nervous system, and it's also an integral part of our brain. We use cholesterol to make most of our hormone levels, so it's an important component that we use to make testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. So we certainly don't want a life without cholesterol. And most of the cholesterol doesn't come from our diet. Our liver makes it. So we produce cholesterol whether we eat it or not. And eating moderate amounts of cholesterol, even on a daily basis, is going to really have a minimal impact on your level. Now, when your levels are too high, I mean, let's look at the extreme. There's a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia where about 5% of the population has super high cholesterol levels whether you eat it or not. And then they're at very high risk for heart disease. Their cholesterol levels could be 350, 400, even 500 milligrams per deciliter. And so in their case, eating more cholesterol isn't going to make any difference because their body's making it. And for most people, yes, it'll have a slight impact on what you eat, but not enough to really change your levels significantly. So it's much more about the rest of our health, whether we're eating enough fiber from fruit, vegetable, beans and nuts and other healthy foods to help keep our cholesterol controlled. So I do think you can eat eggs several times per week. I would say that much more important than whether they raise your cholesterol is whether they're clean or not. Eggs represent how the animal was raised. So if you fed chickens pesticide, enriched grain and gave them hormones, well, you'll have hormones and pesticides in the fatty acid component of the egg yolk and that would be really bad for you. So look for eggs that are organically raised, free range, pasture raised, and those I think eggs are healthy and they're going to have a minimal impact on your cholesterol and would be generally a good source of nutrients for you to have. And the majority of medical groups today basically state that eggs are not going to have a significant impact on your cholesterol.
This is JJ with Ask the Health Expert. I do this five times a week, so make sure you never miss a show by going to subscribetoj.com. Foreign.
Hello listeners, this is Anne Bogle, author, blogger and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week I take all things Books in Reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately, and I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading Next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment. Whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change, or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything, you'll learn something about yourself as a reader and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read, with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So so join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and visit our website what Should I read next podcast.com to find out more.
