One Egg Per Day Is Good For Your Health

Eggs are an inexpensive source of essential nutrients including vitamins, minerals, as well as very high-quality protein. Due to the presence of a high amount of cholesterol, the relationship between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has been a topic of intense debate in the scientific community in recent decades. A new study and meta-analysis led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reported that moderate egg intake or consuming up to one egg per day does not appear to be associated with CVD) risk.

“Recent studies reignited the debate on this controversial topic, but our study provides compelling evidence supporting the lack of an appreciable association between moderate egg consumption and cardiovascular disease,” said first author Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, visiting scientist in the Department of Nutrition and assistant professor at Laval University in Québec, Canada.

For this study, researchers analyzed health data from 90,214 men and 173,563 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) I and II, and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) who were free of CVD, type 2 diabetes, and cancer at baseline. They used repeated measures of diet — up to 32 years of follow-up — to gain a detailed picture of potentially confounding lifestyle factors such as high body mass index and red meat consumption. The researchers also conducted the largest meta-analysis of this topic, including 28 prospective cohort studies with up to 1.7 million participants.

The analysis of NHS and HPFS participants found no association between moderate egg consumption and risk of CVD. Results from the meta-analysis supported this finding in U.S. and European populations; however, some evidence suggested that moderate egg consumption may be associated with lower CVD risk in Asian populations although this may be confounded by the overall dietary pattern.

Study co-author Shilpa Bhupathiraju, the research scientist in the Harvard Chan School Department of Nutrition and associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said that while moderate egg consumption can be part of a healthy eating pattern, it is not essential. “There is a range of other foods that can be included in a healthy breakfast, such as whole-grain toasts, plain yogurt, and fruits.”

Source: The Harvard Gazette

Article: BMJ

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