December 24, 2013
My coworker’s choir director can’t bring himself to eat eggs more than once in a blue moon. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy eggs—in fact, he loves a good omelet. But he worries about his heart and he’s watching his cholesterol…and he remains convinced that eggs, which do have a lot of dietary cholesterol, are dangerous.
He’s not the only person who took to heart the anti-egg campaigns that began in the 1980s, when health organizations started widely publicizing the fact that high cholesterol was connected to cardiovascular disease and cautioned us all to drastically limit egg consumption. So now, despite more recent evidence that eggs are not to blame for high blood cholesterol levels, the choir director and others like him continue to avoid eggs like the plague.
That’s too bad, because eggs actually are an excellent source of protein and other important nutrients. If you, too, are still scared of eggs, I hope that a huge new study helps convince you that eggs won’t give you a heart attack—and may even protect you against a certain type of stroke.
Here’s why it’s A-OK to have an egg as often as every day…
EGG EXAMINATION
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis, looking at numerous existing studies that specifically examined the association between egg consumption and the risk for coronary heart disease or stroke. Their analysis included data on nearly 264,000 participants for heart disease…plus more than 210,400 participants for stroke.
By the end of the study periods, which ranged from eight to 22 years, there were 5,847 cases of coronary heart disease and 7,579 strokes. So just who developed heart disease or suffered a stroke, and how was egg consumption associated with those outcomes?
Well, there was happy news for egg lovers! After pooling the results, the researchers did not find any association between higher intake of eggs—up to one per day, on average—and increased risk for heart disease or stroke. In fact, people who ate an average of one egg daily had a 25% reduced risk for hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke compared with people who ate fewer eggs. (The study did not report any conclusions about higher levels of egg consumption, such as two per day.)
Possible exception: Subgroup analyses suggested that, for people with diabetes, daily egg consumption was associated with a slightly increased risk for coronary heart disease. However, this finding was based on only limited data, so further research on this is needed.
HOW EGGS DO A BODY GOOD
So why have eggs gotten a bad rap over the years? One large egg has about 208 milligrams of cholesterol, and cholesterol in the blood is implicated in cardiovascular disease.
The fact is that eggs have many health benefits. They are an inexpensive source of protein—and some studies suggest that substituting protein for carbohydrates in the diet helps reduce blood pressure, improve blood lipid levels and reduce cardiovascular risk. One large egg provides about 6.3 grams of protein for only about 75 calories. It also provides 41 milligrams of vitamin D, a nutrient that has multiple health benefits—and one in which many people are deficient. In addition, eggs are a good source of choline, which has been linked with preserving memory…and lutein and zeaxanthin, which may protect against vision loss.
Source: Study titled “Egg Consumption and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke: Dose-Responsive Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies,” published in BMJ.
http://www.bottomlinepublications.com/content/article/diet-a-exercise/it-s-safe-to-eat-one-egg-per-day