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For decades, we wondered if the eggs were good or bad for your heart.
A major long-term US study found that cholesterol in eggs actually contributes to a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
The Northwestern Medicine study, published in JAMAreported that adults who ate more eggs and dietary cholesterol had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, regardless of their cause.
Egg yolks are one of the richest sources of dietary cholesterol among all commonly eaten foods. A large egg contains 186 milligrams of dietary cholesterol in the yolk.
"The takeaway really concerns cholesterol, which contains eggs and especially yellows," said author of the co-corresponding study, Norrina Allen, badociate professor of preventive medicine at Feinberg School. of Medicine at Northwestern University. "As part of a healthy diet, people need to consume less cholesterol. People who consume less cholesterol have a lower risk of heart disease. "
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.
Debate on the disease
Whether cholesterol or egg consumption is linked to cardiovascular disease, death has been the subject of debate for decades. Prior to 2015, the United States recommended consuming less than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day. However, the most recent nutrition guidelines, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, omitted a daily limit for dietary cholesterol. The guidelines, which may require revision following the results of the study, also include weekly egg consumption as part of a healthy diet.
Evidence for the eggs has been mixed. Previous studies have shown that eating eggs does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. But these studies generally had a less diverse sample, shorter follow-up time, and limited ability to adapt to other parts of the diet, Allen said.
"Our study showed that if two people followed exactly the same diet and that the only difference in their diet was eggs, you can then measure directly the effect of egg consumption on heart disease," said Allen. "We found that cholesterol, regardless of its source, was badociated with an increased risk of heart disease."
Exercise, the overall quality of the diet, the amount and type of fat in the diet have not changed the link between dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular disease and the risk of death.
The new study examined data collected from 29,615 American adults of various racial and ethnic origins from six prospective cohort studies followed up to 31 years.
He found:
- Consumption of 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day was badociated with a 17% higher incident cardiovascular disease risk and 18% risk of all-cause death. Cholesterol was the independent determinant of the intake of saturated fats and other dietary fats.
- Consumption of three to four eggs per week was badociated with a 6% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a higher risk of death of 8%.
Should I stop eating eggs?
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, said Zhong, because eggs and red meat are good sources of essential nutrients such as essential amino acids, iron and choline. Instead, choose egg whites rather than whole eggs or eat whole eggs in moderation.
"We want to remind people that cholesterol in eggs, especially yolks, has a detrimental effect," said Allen, who made scrambled eggs for his kids that morning. "Eat them in moderation."
Estimate of food intake
Food data were collected using food frequency questionnaires or taking the food history. Each participant was asked a long list of what they ate during the year or the previous month. The data was collected during a single visit. The study followed up to 31 years (median: 17.5 years), during which 5,400 cardiovascular events and 1,622 deaths from all causes were diagnosed.
One of the main limitations of the study is that participants' long-term dietary habits have not been evaluated.
"We have an overview of their eating habits," Allen said. "But we think they represent an estimate of a person's dietary intake. Yet people may have changed their diet and we can not account for it. "
