I have been on the carnivore diet for almost three years. From the start, raw eggs have been a big part of my diet. My go-to recipe is one dozen yolks mixed with bone broth. It fits in a tall glass that I drink down each morning. Another way I consume my raw egg yolks is to mix them with water and honey. If this sounds strange, this post will clarify why I consider it an important part of my diet.

We Are Fatty meat and Cholesterol

My rationale for including eggs is simple. We are made of muscles, bones, nerve tissue, hormones, fat, liver, kidneys, skin, blood, eyes, and more. So are chickens. The egg yolk is the part of the egg that contains all of the raw ingredients to make these components. Conversely, vegetables have nothing resembling skin, hair, brains, eyes, or any other part of animals. Nonetheless, once we eat vegetables, we do all we can to use the nutrients to make animal parts. In short, we do all we can to convert plant nutrients into fatty meat and cholesterol!

One dozen large egg yolks contain:

660 calories

7.2 grams of carbohydrates with no sugar

32.4 grams of high-quality bioavailable protein

54 grams of fat

2.2 grams of cholesterol

775 micrograms of retinol (vitamin A) 86% of RDA

.36 milligrams of B1 30% of RDA

1.08 milligrams of B2 83 % of RDA

.048 milligrams of B3 .3% of RDA

6.1 milligrams of B5 122 % of RDA

.7 milligrams of B6 43.7 % of RDA

297.6 micrograms of B9 (folate) 74% of RDA

3.98 micrograms of B12 166% of RDA

1.67 grams of choline 300% of RDA

10.8 micrograms of vitamin D 216 % of RDA

5.27 milligrams of vitamin E 35% of RDA

1.43 micrograms of vitamin K 1.2 % of RDA

262.8 milligrams of calcium 26% of RDA

.156 milligrams of copper 16.8% of RDA

5.57 milligrams of iron 30% of RDA

10.2 milligrams of magnesium 2.5% of RDA

.11 milligrams of manganese 4.8% of RDA

895.6 milligrams of phosphorus 128% of RDA

222 milligrams of potassium 4.75% of RDA

114.2 micrograms of selenium 207% of RDA

97.9 milligrams of sodium 65% of RDA

4.68 milligrams of zinc 42.5% of RDA

Vince Gironda's Egg Diet

Vince Gironda was an early bodybuilding guru way ahead of his time. He was a proponent of ketogenic diets and advocated a steak and eggs diet as far back as the 1940s. After anabolic steroids were invented, bodybuilders of the sixties until the present use them to build mass and strength. Vince did not have that luxury. So instead, he promoted his famous 36 eggs a-day diet. 

Eggs, Anabolic Steroids, and Burn Victims

A study performed in 1975 confirmed that burn victims responded favorably to 35 eggs per day to help them heal. 1 The authors also published a paper in 1978 that demonstrated no rise in Cholesterol in the patients eating 35 eggs. 2

Ten years previous to the egg study for burn victims, the anabolic steroid methandrostenolone (Dianabol) had the same effect as the eggs. 3  One of Vince's gym members, Dr. Desai, pointed out to Vince Gironda that at the time, 36 eggs per day were prescribed to patients with severe burns and that the diet resulted in a quick skin healing process similar to that achieved by Dianabol. 4 

Saturated Fat and Cholesterol From Animals

Researchers found that a decrease in dietary fat content and an increase in the degree of unsaturation of fatty acids lowers the serum concentrations of androstenedione, testosterone, and free testosterone. Since these hormones lead to muscle growth, lowering them hinder growth. 5 Most studies point to saturated fat's benefits for developing lean mass. In addition, cholesterol intake leads to increased muscle production and strength. 6,7 Lastly, Cholesterol is the precursor molecule for all sex hormones. Therefore, it stands to reason that having additional Cholesterol may lead to the facilitated synthesis of sex hormones. Interestingly, processed carbohydrates seem to cause problems-this study linked poor diets of processed carbohydrates like bread to obesity, hypogonadism, less skeletal muscle mass, increased fat mass, and low testosterone.

Eggs, Cholesterol, and Heart Disease

The United States government removed the restrictions on cholesterol consumption in 2015 due to the lack of scientific evidence that it is harmful, especially to the cardiovascular system. Additionally, a 2018 paper analyzed numerous studies and concluded that no evidence supports the role of dietary Cholesterol in the development of cardiovascular disease. The authors stated, "Considering that eggs are affordable and nutrient-dense food items, containing high-quality protein with minimal saturated fatty acids (1.56 gm/egg) and are rich in several micronutrients including vitamins and minerals, it would be worthwhile to include eggs in moderation as a part of a healthy eating pattern. This recommendation is particularly relevant when individual's intakes of nutrients are suboptimal, or with limited income and food access, and to help ensure dietary intake of sufficient nutrients in growing children and older adults." 8 

There are three reasons I don't eat egg whites:

1. I am sensitive to them, as are many people. They are a common allergen.

2. 12 whole eggs are too much food for me. I feel too full after eating so much.

3. Raw egg whites can lead to vitamin B7 (biotin) deficiency.

In Conclusion

Two egg yolks contain barely over 100 calories. Most people supplement their two-egg meals with bread and potatoes, etc. I consider these low-quality foods and choose not to eat them. Twelve yolks are over 600 calories and come close to providing one-third of the calories I need while providing a very high-quality, nutrient-packed meal. I prefer to eat other animal-based foods for my other meals. I have not ruled out trying a few days where I eat 36 egg yolks per day to see how I respond. If I try it, I promise to post my experience with it.