Just 1 Egg a Day Does Not Increase Heart Disease Risk
Highlights:
- Eggs may not affect your heart health, but how many eggs you eat matters
- Moderate egg intake (i.e., one or fewer eggs per day) does not increase the risk of heart disease
Eating one meal a day may not pose a huge threat to your heart health. A new study suggests that moderate egg intake (i.e., one or fewer eggs per day) does not increase heart disease risk. The findings of the study are published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The controversy about whether eggs are good or bad for your heart health may be solved, and about one a day is fine.
‘Does eating eggs increase my risk of heart disease? Moderate egg intake, i.e., eating one egg per day in most people, does not increase the risk of heart disease or death even if people have a history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes.’
Details of the Study
A team of researchers from the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences found the answer by analyzing data from three large, long-term multinational studies.
Findings of the Study
The results suggest there is no harm from consuming eggs. Given that the majority of individuals in the study consumed one or fewer eggs per day, it would be safe to consume this level, says Mahshid Dehghan, first author and a PHRI investigator.
Does Eating Eggs Increase Heart Disease Risk?
"Moderate egg intake, which is about one egg per day in most people, does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease or mortality even if people have a history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes," she said.
"Also, no association was found between egg intake and blood cholesterol, its components or other risk factors. These results are robust and widely applicable to both healthy individuals and those with vascular disease."
Although eggs are an inexpensive source of essential nutrients, some guidelines have recommended limiting consumption to fewer than three eggs a week due to concerns they increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Previous studies on egg consumption and diseases have been contradictory, said Salim Yusuf, principal investigator of the study and director of PHRI.
"This is because most of these studies were relatively small or moderate in size and did not include individuals from a large number of countries," he said.
The research team analyzed three international studies conducted by the PHRI. Egg consumption of 146,011 individuals from 21 countries was recorded in the PURE study and in 31,544 patients with vascular disease from the ONTARGET and the TRANSEND studies.
The data from these three studies involved populations from 50 countries spanning six continents at different income levels, so the results are widely applicable, said Yusuf.
Eggs are a rich source of vital nutrients, but they are also a source of dietary cholesterol. Therefore, some guidelines recommend limiting egg consumption to fewer than three eggs a week.
However, there is contradictory evidence on the impact of eggs on diseases, based mainly on studies conducted in high-income countries.
Reference:
- Association of egg intake with blood lipids, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in 177,000 people in 50 countries - (https:doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz348)
Source: Eurekalert
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Adeline Dorcas. "Just 1 Egg a Day Does Not Increase Heart Disease Risk". Medindia. Jan 15, 2025. <https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/just-1-egg-a-day-does-not-increase-heart-disease-risk-192781-1.htm>.
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Adeline Dorcas. "Just 1 Egg a Day Does Not Increase Heart Disease Risk". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/just-1-egg-a-day-does-not-increase-heart-disease-risk-192781-1.htm. (accessed Jan 15, 2025).
Harvard
Adeline Dorcas. 2020. Just 1 Egg a Day Does Not Increase Heart Disease Risk. Medindia, viewed Jan 15, 2025, https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/just-1-egg-a-day-does-not-increase-heart-disease-risk-192781-1.htm.