Eating one egg a day may not be a bad idea if you care about your heart. Eggs are a powerhouse of nutrition, but too many of them may wreak havoc on your health, particularly your heart health. There have been reports linking consumption of eggs and raised cholesterol too, however, a recent study has revealed that moderate egg consumption (up to one egg per day), does not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke as previously feared. The study was published in the journal The BMJ. Eggs are a treasure of high-quality protein, iron, and unsaturated fatty acids. Yet, because of the cholesterol-rich yolk, it has been under scrutiny for many years.
"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 study first author Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, Professor at Laval University in Canada.
The findings build up on 1999 study -- the first major analysis of eggs and cardiovascular disease -- that found no association between eggs and CVD risk.
For this study, the researchers analysed health data from 173,563 women and 90,214 men 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.
Using repeated measures of diet during up to 32 years of follow-up, they studied a detailed picture of potentially confounding lifestyle factors such as high body mass index and red meat consumption.
The team also conducted the largest meta-analysis of this topic, including 28 prospective cohort studies with up to 1.7 million participants.
No association between moderate egg consumption and risk of CVD was found in the analysis of NHS and HPFS participants.
"While moderate egg consumption can be part of a healthy eating pattern, it is not essential," said Indian-origin researcher and study co-author Shilpa Bhupathiraju from Harvard University in the US.
"There is a range of other foods that can be included in a healthy breakfast, such as whole grain toasts, plain yogurt, and fruits," Bhupathiraju added.
Laval University is a French-language, public research university in Quebec City, Canada. The University was founded by royal charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852.
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