How many eggs should we eat per day?

Over the years, experts have diverged on the impact of egg consumption on our health.

This seems to depend on the amount of eggs we eat each week, according to a recent medical study published in a medical specialty journal.

According to the study, eating two eggs a day can lead to heart and blood vessel health problems and premature death.

This is due to the large amounts of cholesterol contained in the eggs, since a large egg contains 185 milligrams of cholesterol, according to the United States Department of Health. According to the World Health Organization, this accounts for more than half of the daily cholesterol requirement (300 milligrams per day).

The risk

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was based on the analysis of data from six experts, obtained through experiments involving more than 30,000 people over 17 years.

The researchers found that consuming more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 17% and the risk of premature death by 18%.

In the case of cholesterol specifically related to eggs, the study found that consumption of 3-4 eggs or more per week increases the risk of heart problems and the risk of premature death by 6% and 8%, respectively.

The results added that eating two eggs a day increases the chances of 27 and 34 percent, respectively.

Fitness level

According to this study, the magnitude of the damage that may result from egg consumption depends on several factors, including the level of fitness, smoking, and illness that a person experiences, such as smoking. 39, high blood pressure.

"Our study showed that if two people followed the same diet with a different egg consumption, the risk of heart disease was higher for whites," said Norina Allen, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University School. of Medicine and co-authored the study.

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This study contrasts with previous studies that confirm that there is no relationship between egg consumption and increased risk of heart disease.

But Allen says these studies were conducted on research samples that did not have sufficient diversity, as well as short periods of tracking research samples.

However, researchers admit that their analysis has errors.

Egg data were collected through a questionnaire and participants asked about their diet in the months and years before the research.

Other experts said their findings came from observation. Although they are more likely to have a relationship between egg consumption and a higher risk of premature death, there is no evidence of a causal relationship.

"The strength of this study is that it reflects the ethnic diversity of the American population and the American diet," said Tom Sanders, professor of nutrition and dietetics at Royal College London.

He pointed out that they were "based on the determinants of a single measure of food inputs".

Moderation by eating eggs

After reviewing the results of this study, how many eggs should we eat?

Allen, co-author of the study, recommended to the individual not to eat more than three eggs a week and gave advice to egg lovers, especially by eating only whites. d & # 39; eggs.

"I do not want Whites to completely leave their diet, but I advise them to eat it in moderation," she said.

Tom Sanders said the study was about Americans.

"The intake of cholesterol in Americans is estimated at about 600 milligrams a day, which is higher than the average cholesterol in the British diet, estimated at 225 milligrams a day," he said.

According to statistics from the World Egg Commission 2015, the United States ranks fifth in terms of egg consumption in the world, with an annual consumption of 252 eggs. In the United States, heart disease is responsible for 20% of all deaths. Egg consumption per capita in Japan is 328 eggs per year, but heart disease accounts for only 11% of deaths.

"Eating eggs in moderation – three to four eggs a week is reasonable," he said.

Source: BBC Arabic