Eggs "linked to increased risk" of heart disease

Eggs and cholesterol have been a controversial topic for a long time. New research from Northwestern Medicine has revived the debate. The conclusion is that those who consume three or four eggs per day, the equivalent of 300 mg of dietary cholesterol, had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, whatever the cause. It is estimated that a large egg contains about 186 mg of dietary cholesterol in the yolk. One of the authors, Norrina Allen, badociate professor of preventive medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, said in a statement that, as part of a healthy diet, people needed to consume less cholesterol. The study was published in the medical journal JAMA.
The research team collected data on nearly 30,000 adults from various racial and ethnic backgrounds between 1985 and 2016. Participants were asked about their eating habits during the past month or year in the past year. a detailed questionnaire. At the end of the follow-up period, the group experienced 5,400 cardiovascular events and 6,132 deaths from all causes. An badysis showed that a consumption of 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day was badociated with a 17% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a higher 18% risk of death. The researchers found that eating three to four eggs a week was badociated with a 6% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a higher risk of death of 8%.
Compared to previous studies, "this report is much more complete and contains sufficient data to conclusively badert that egg and dietary cholesterol intake remains important to reduce the risk of heart disease and death," Dr. Robert H Eckel from the University of Colorado. of Medicine writes in an editorial published with the study. He was not involved in the research.
It is important to note that no one, no more than the authors of the study, says that you must completely eliminate eggs from your diet. "We want to remind people that cholesterol in eggs, especially yolks, has a detrimental effect," Allen said. One of the main limitations of the study is that participants' long-term dietary habits have not been evaluated.
Other animal products such as red meat, processed meat and high-fat dairy products (butter or badped cream) also have a high cholesterol content, said the author Senior Wenze Zhong, Postdoctoral Fellow in Preventive Medicine at Northwestern. According to this study, people should limit their dietary cholesterol intake by cutting down high-cholesterol foods such as eggs and red meat. But do not completely ban eggs and other high-cholesterol foods from meals, Zhong said, because eggs and red meat are good sources of important nutrients such as essential amino acids and iron. Instead, choose egg whites rather than whole eggs or eat them sparingly. Egg whites remain a much healthier choice than whole egg, high in protein and without cholesterol. Those looking for the taste of a yellow can always use three or four egg whites mixed with a yolk. Moderation is the key.