Lowered-Cholesterol Eggs Due in Grocery Stores Soon

Cholesterol-conscious egg lovers may soon be able to enjoy their favorite breakfast without guilt.

Lowered-cholesterol eggs (real eggs, not egg substitutes), available in four Eastern states since last year, are expected to be in Southern California grocery stores by midsummer.

The reduced-cholesterol eggs have about 190-210 milligrams of cholesterol each, compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture standard of about 275 milligrams, said the developer, John Albright, president of Environmental Systems Inc. in Lancaster, Penn.--a cholesterol content verified by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, according to a spokesman there. (The American Heart Assn. recommends a maximum of 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day for healthy adults.)

Persuading the Hens

How are hens persuaded to lay eggs with less cholesterol? Care and feeding make the difference, Albright said.

“Certain items in the diet as well as certain environmental items cause people and animals to increase their output of cholesterol,” he said. “We give them (the hens) absolutely pure water. They have fresh air. We give them special light that simulates outdoor sunshine. We shield electromagnetic energy given off by wires and motors. We treat manure so it doesn’t give off an ammonia smell. We give them special feed.”

As a result, the hens have a lower-than-average internal cholesterol, and the eggs they lay have lower cholesterol as well, said Albright, who is obtaining necessary approval to market the eggs in California.

Not everyone is as enthusiastic about the new eggs as Albright. Eggs already on the market may actually fall below the government standard of 275 milligrams, said Cathy McCharen, vice president of the Egg Nutrition Center, sponsored by the American Egg Board and United Egg Producers.

“The estimates (of cholesterol in standard eggs) are based on analytic methodology which is out of date,” she said.

The lowered-cholesterol eggs, marketed as Full Spectrum Farms Eggs, are expected to cost about 30 cents a dozen more than standard eggs, Albright said.

“We have no disagreement with this product at all,” McCharen said, “(but) I’m not sure as a consumer without a blood cholesterol problem I’d pay the premium.”

Value of Weight Training

The prevailing wisdom about weight training--that it’s primarily a young person’s exercise with no cardiovascular benefits--may be changing, based on recent studies.

In one, Dr. Linn Goldberg, head of the Human Performance Laboratory at Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, compared three groups: weight trainers, runners and a control group of sedentary people. After 16 weeks of weight training, he found heart rate and blood pressure during exercise went down in runners and weight trainers. There was no change in the control group.

His conclusion: “Weight training will not necessarily make you a better distance runner, but it will certainly improve your cardiovascular performance and will help you withstand life stresses of common daily activity.”

In another study, William Evans, chief of the human physiology lab at the U.S. Department of Agriculture human nutrition research center on aging at Tufts University, found a “remarkable increase in muscle strength and size” in men ages 60-72 who participated in a 12-week strength training program. The traditional belief that older people can’t respond to weight training is a myth, Evans says.

Increased muscle mass is important in older people, experts say, because it can improve response to stresses such as surgery or injury.

But the new studies shouldn’t be over-interpreted, said Dr. Neil Gordon, director of exercise physiology at the Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas.

“The majority of studies suggest that you can derive only small improvements in aerobic fitness through strength training,” he said. “On its own, weight training is likely to be insufficient to induce significant improvements in aerobic fitness.”

“Cardiovascular training is not limited to traditional aerobic-style training,” countered Goldberg, who does not suggest weight training be done to the exclusion of other exercise. “Both weight training and traditional aerobic exercise are important for cardiovascular fitness.”

Parent Errors

Parents visiting the pediatrician’s office often misunderstand the physician’s observations or instructions, suggests a Sacramento physician who studied 52 mother-child visits and reported his results in a recent letter in the current American Journal of Diseases of Children.

The most frequent error, found Dr. Gilbert Simon of the UC Davis Medical School, was when to expect improvement of the child’s condition. Eleven of the 52 mothers fell into this category. (Most mothers expected it too soon.)

Parents also misunderstood the diagnosis, drug information--most often the dose or interval between doses--and follow-up instructions.

How to reduce misunderstandings? Simon’s suggestions to doctors can be used by parents as well: Ask the doctor to write down the dose and other information on over-the-counter medication and to explain fully when improvement should occur. Keeping distraction to a minimum during the office visit--no small feat when small fry are present--can minimize misunderstandings, too.

Low-Cost Mammograms

Women 35 and older may be eligible for $50 mammograms offered this month by the American Cancer Society and participating radiologists. The average cost of mammograms in the L.A. area now ranges from $125 to $175, said an American Cancer Society spokeswoman. Information: (800) 522-4526 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.