If you want to up your protein intake, bulk up on all essential vitamins (except Vitamin C) and amino acids, then there's nothing better than eggs. So you can forget the old warning that suggests you can't eat more than three or four eggs a week because they are high on cholesterol. Innumerable studies and experts have confirmed that 'the cholesterol we eat has little or no effect on blood cholesterol levels, and that we actually need cholesterol to build cell membranes, digest fats and make hormones.'
Besides being the perfect health food, eggs can also reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. According to the study published in 'The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition', eating four eggs a week can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a non-insulin dependent diabetes where a person's body does not make enough insulin or the body cannot use the insulin well enough. It's also known as insulin resistance. According to a 2014 study, in 90 per cent cases, Type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity.
The study: Since eggs are a major source of cholesterol, in the past, they've been linked with high levels of blood glucose and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. A team of researchers set out to prove this as wrong. They recruited 2332 men aged 42 to 60 years and continued to follow up over a period of 19 years. They monitored the intake of eggs in their diet and regularly checked their blood glucose levels. They found that 432 men developed Type 2 diabetes and those that ate more eggs had a 38 per cent lower chance of developing it.
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This association persisted even after possible confounding factors such as physical activity, body mass index, smoking and consumption of fruits and vegetables were taken into consideration. Also, consumption of more than four eggs did not bring any significant additional benefits.
(An Egg a Day Keeps Unwanted Calories at Bay)
They concluded by suggesting that besides reducing the disk of Type 2 diabetes, eggs can pump in a number of beneficial nutrients in a person's diet, have a good impact on metabolism and also help reduce low-grade inflammation.
With inputs from IANS