Eggs don’t increase risk of heart diseases

If you are fond of eggs, you need not worry about eating one too many. An egg a day’s contribution to the risk of coronary heart disease in healthy adults is just 1 per cent, says a new study funded by an industry body.

If you are fond of eggs, you need not worry about eating one too many. An egg a day’s contribution to the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy adults is just 1 per cent, says a new study funded by an industry body. Poor diet, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity contribute a 30 per cent to 40 per cent to heart disease risk, depending on gender.

HT Image

The study, funded by the Egg Nutrition Centre and published online in Risk Analysis, substantiates decades of research busting the myth that the cholesterol in eggs is linked to increased heart disease risk.

The study evaluated the risk of heart disease associated with egg consumption, compared to modifiable lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, poor diet, being overweight or obese.

The analysis did not adjust for the health-promoting benefits of eggs — which may, in fact, cut heart disease risk.

Research has also found that overweight men who eat eggs while on a carbohydrate-restricted diet have a significant increase in their HDL levels (“good” cholesterol) compared to men who do not eat eggs.