An egg is an ingredient which is not just versatile, but also extremely beneficial for health. An excellent source of high-quality protein, an egg is also loaded with Vitamin B, D and antioxidants. An egg is known to be ideal for those on a weight loss diet - thanks to its high protein content and its low calories. It may also help in boosting brain and bone health. The effects of egg consumption on heart health have long been debated by experts. However, the latest study by researchers from the Peking University in Beijing shows that moderate egg consumption can increase the good cholesterol in the body.
The study was published in the eLife journal and conducted by researchers at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. They wanted to carry out a population-based study to explore how egg consumption affects cardiovascular health. "Few studies have looked at the role that plasma cholesterol metabolism plays in the association between egg consumption and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, so we wanted to help address this gap," explained first author Lang Pan, MSc at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University, Beijing, China.
(Also Read: How Much Protein Is In An Egg White: Unveiling Facts)
Eggs may have benefits for heart health as shown by this recent study.
Lang Pan and her team selected 4778 participants for this study from the China Kadoorie Biobank. About 3401 participants had cardiovascular disease and 1377 did not. Their studies showed that individuals who ate a moderate number of eggs every day had a higher level of a protein called apolipoprotein A1 - a good lipoprotein that is said to be a building block of HDL or High-Density Lipoprotein. The HDL molecules helped clear cholesterol from the arteries and thereby reduced the risk of heart attack or stroke.
"Together, our results provide a potential explanation for how eating a moderate number of eggs can help protect against heart disease," said Canqing Yu, associate professor at the Peking University.
So, how much quantity of eggs is recommended for deriving the benefits for the heart? Researchers suggest there would need to be further study into this to come up with dietary guidelines around this. "Current health guidelines in China suggest eating one egg a day, but data indicate that the average consumption is lower than this. Our work highlights the need for more strategies to encourage moderate egg consumption among the population, to help lower the overall risk of cardiovascular disease," concluded researcher and distinguished professor Liming Li.