Prepare yourselves egg lovers because you won’t like the news we have for you! New research from the Northwestern Medicine found that adults that ate several eggs per week had a higher risk of getting cardiovascular diseases. The research shows that maybe it’s time to re-evaluate the dietary guidelines that don’t limit eggs or cholesterol.
“The take-home message is really about cholesterol, which happens to be high in eggs and specifically yolks. As part of a healthy diet, people need to consume lower amounts of cholesterol. People who consume less cholesterol have a lower risk of heart disease,” explains one of the authors, Norrina Allen, Ph.D., an associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Allen’s team combined data of 30.000 ethnically and racially diverse adults between 1985-2016. The participant answered questions about their dietary habits over the last month and year. The questionnaire showed that the group of people had experienced 5400 cardiovascular events and 6132 deaths.
Analysis showed that consuming 300 mg dietary cholesterol a day was associated with a 17% higher risk of getting a cardiovascular disease and 18% higher risk of death. Eggs were looked at specifically because they contain the most dietary cholesterol. One large egg contains 186 mg of dietary cholesterol in the yolk. Eating 3-4 eggs per week can increase the risk of suffering from a cardiovascular disease.
Why is there so much conflicting guidance on eggs?
With so many researches claiming different things, the consumer experiences difficulties keeping track of which foods are considered healthy choices.
Most dietary studies are observational, which makes them less reliable. It is difficult to control what people eat over a long period of time. On the other hand, every research matters and this research is important for a better understanding of nutrition research.
In Conclusion: Moderation Is KEY
No one study implies that you need to stop eating eggs completely. The study’s mission is to remind people that there’s cholesterol in the yolk and that it can be harmful. You just need to eat eggs in moderation. Scientists advise to eat egg whites, but limit the amount of yolk you’re consuming. You should probably stick to a Mediterranean diet, that is rich in healthy plant-based foods low in cholesterol.