At the hearing of the word Easter everyone will see different-coloured egg shells and eggs in various culinary forms. Eggs are a very important element of our holiday table. However, the question arises whether and how eggs affect the level of cholesterol in the blood, and thus the risk of heart disease. It is time to face the myths and clearly determine if and how much we can eat eggs wanting to take care of our own health. Due to the fact that the topic is still controversial, I have written quite a bit.
Scientific references on this topic appeared many years ago. An example is the study from 1957, from which we learn about the existence of a positive relationship between blood cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease. This publication shows that people with cholesterol levels greater than 144 mg / dl have more than four times the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to people who have less than 90 mg / dl. We can also find a study from 1981, thanks to which we gain knowledge about HDL and LDL, i.e. good and bad cholesterol. Looking at HDL, we read that the lower the level of this cholesterol, the greater the likelihood of heart disease. So the clear conclusion is the level of cholesterol in our blood is very important and significantly affects our cardiovascular health. On this basis, in 1993 the American Heart Association made recommendations to limit cholesterol intake to 300 mg per day. One egg contains about 210 mg cholesterol. Oops …. A little much …
Admittedly, however, eggs are inexpensive and a valuable source of protein, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids. These ingredients have the potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. That is why some organisations have suggested that restricting egg consumption is not so important for healthy people. In the dietary recommendations of countries such as Nepal, Thailand and South Africa we find eggs as part of a daily diet.
However, scientists decided to tackle the problem and analyse the results of the latest scientific reports on egg consumption. A large analysis was carried out collecting results from the best quality research samples from recent years. Over 260,000 people with coronary artery disease and over 210,000 stroke patients were examined. This huge analysis showed us the lack of a linear relationship between the number of eggs consumed and the occurrence of coronary artery disease or stroke among healthy people. Adding one more egg to our diet does not lead to an increased risk, just as there are no differences in the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease among the groups eating the least and most eggs. A number of analyses have been carried out, additionally isolating, among others, lethal stroke or ischemic stroke. In these cases, an in-depth study also confirmed the lack of dependence. However, one type of stroke has been identified where the amount of eggs consumed is important. People from the group eating the most eggs were less likely to have a hemorrhagic stroke. Thus, in healthy people, the egg proved to be protective against hemorrhagic stroke!
However, not everyone can afford the freedom to eat eggs. People with diabetes should pay attention to the amount of eggs in their diet. Diabetic patients in the group eating the most eggs had one and a half times higher risk of coronary artery disease compared to those eating the least eggs. Therefore, patients with type 2 diabetes should limit their eggs to avoid heart attacks. Interestingly, when considering stroke, no similar relationship was found. Egg consumption does not affect the likelihood of stroke.
To confirm the above observations, a mechanism explaining the effect of eggs on our body was also identified. Eggs, despite the high cholesterol content, have their good sides and have a positive effect on our health. A 2013 study showed that people eating 3 eggs a day improve their blood lipid profile, more specifically, increase HDL (good cholesterol), improve LDL (bad cholesterol) and reduce VLDL (worst cholesterol). Increased activity of enzymes responsible for transporting cholesterol to the liver, in which cholesterol is metabolised and removed from the body, has also been noticed. The high content of vitamin D in eggs is also significant. Higher vitamin D intake in the diet for a positive effect on the reduction of peri-organ fat. High body fat is one of the main factors causing problems with the circulatory system.
To sum up, eating eggs this Easter we don’t have to worry about our heart and blood vessels. Everything of course in moderation. We cannot allow the caloric content of our festive meal to go beyond all norms! Unfortunately, egg permission does not apply to patients with type 2 diabetes. Impaired insulin sensitivity causes impaired cholesterol metabolism. Thus, eggs pose a risk of coronary heart disease among people with diabetes. In contrast, healthy readers of this article I wish you a Happy Easter and Tasty Egg!
