Heart disease risk is not increased by regular consumption of eggs in those with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes
If you love your eggs and are worried about the conflicting reports about heart disease risk because of regular egg consumption, take heart:
A new study shows that eating up to 12 eggs per week for a year did not cause any increase in heart disease risk factors. The subjects were people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
The research was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition today. In the trial, participants were put on a high-egg (12 eggs per week ) and low-egg ( less than two eggs per week ) diet. No increase in heart disease risk was observed between the two groups at the end of 3 months.
The risks did not increase even when the participants continued their high and low egg diet for 12 months while on a weight loss regimen.
Heart disease risk factors were evaluated by measuring multiple parameters including measurement of blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar of the individuals.
They emphasised replacing saturated fats (such as butter) with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (such as avocado and olive oil)
Dr Nick Fuller, the lead author from the Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders at the Charles Perkins Centre explained: “While eggs themselves are high in dietary cholesterol – and people with type 2 diabetes tend to have higher levels of the ‘bad’ low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol – this study supports existing research that shows consumption of eggs has little effect on the levels of cholesterol in the blood of the people eating them.”
The study however emphasised replacing saturated fats (such as butter) with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (such as avocado and olive oil).
“Eggs are a source of protein and micronutrients that could support a range of health and dietary factors including helping to regulate the intake of fat and carbohydrate, eye and heart health, healthy blood vessels and healthy pregnancies,” Dr. Fuller added.
Another significant observation was that both groups lost similar amounts of weight during the weight loss regimen and the good effects lasted beyond the study period.
