A new study published in JAMA reported that a higher intake of dietary cholesterol or eggs was significantly linked with higher risk of risk of heart disease and early death. A few of my clients have asked me about this and so I thought I would share my thoughts....
The study in question was observational, and observational studies can only show associations (they cannot prove causation). There are many other factors to consider and isolate when looking at what is causing higher death rates in people who eat a lot of eggs. Studies examining how foods influence health are inherently challenging - short of locking people in a room and measuring out all of their meals, it is hard to know exactly what people eat. Relying on measures of food consumption that require people to remember and report what they ate accurately is always fraught with difficulty. Many other studies including meta-analyses show null effect of egg consumption on cardiovascular health risk.
My thoughts:
• Regarding cardiovascular health, by far the most important focus is avoiding what can injure your arteries (e.g. high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, being overweight, too much stress) and doing more of the right things - such as eating plenty of fruit & veg and taking regular exercise
• There is no official limit to how many eggs we should consume per week. Personally I think anything up to 10 is acceptable as part of a healthy balanced diet, and preferably organic. *People with a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia are advised not to have more than 3-4 eggs per week (BHF)
• If we consume fried eggs, bacon, sausages and fried bread, every day, it’s not going to be considered a healthful choice. A couple of poached eggs with mashed avocado on rye bread however – great!
• For people going through or recovering from cancer treatment I think eggs are brilliant
WHY?
🏋️♀️ They’re a great source of high biological value (easily absorbed) protein – 6g protein in a medium egg
🎉 Eggs are among the most nutritious foods you can find, providing virtually all the vitamins and minerals you need (bar vitamin C!)
🥚They’re one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D – essential for immune function, reducing inflammatory processes and bone health
👩🍳They make a quick and easy snack meal if you’re feeling tired. They're also relatively cheap and go with anything!
😁 Eggs help to stabilise blood sugar levels throughout the day, which is really important to help manage fatigue (80-90% of people going through active cancer treatment experience fatigue)
💪🏼 Studies show that eating eggs for breakfast can help with achieving weight loss and fat loss goals
So in summary, if you like eggs don't stop eating them. I think they really are one of natures Superfoods!
Link to the study:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2728487?guestAccessKey=84630584-14da-4d2f-8655-1bb4e602296e&utm_source=silverchair&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=article_alert-jama&utm_content=etoc&utm_term=031519&fbclid=IwAR1gFwI1ZT6B2WfeKpn6F1k2IItyFLlZfFaDdh0HK0hmbtKiUM8V9ln4yD4
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