Confused about eggs again?

A recent study opened a can of worms we thought had been closed for good: eggs and cardiovascular disease.

The study suggested that increasing egg consumption was associated with a higher risk of dying from heart disease. What a way to confuse the public! That was the thinking in the 1970’s, then we were told eggs were fine, now this?

So here is the straight shoot: the study was an observational study, and cannot show that eggs caused increased heart disease rates. Secondly, they only took dietary information at the start of the study, but then reported on death rates 17-years later…a lot can happen in that timeframe!

Ultimately when it comes to research, we look to studies that are controlled, meaning factors that could influence the results are accounted for. One thing about eggs is that they may be high in dietary cholesterol, but they are low in saturated fat. We know that dietary cholesterol on its own has minimal impact on blood cholesterol levels, and that it is blood cholesterol levels that are the primary risk for diet influencing heart disease.

And, we know from multiple well-conducted studies that eggs improve blood cholesterol levels. So, what explains this recent study? Something else, most likely the total diet pattern; eggs are served on top of chips and burgers, after all

This study should not change whether you choose to include eggs in your diet. Of course, you don’t have to, particularly if you have ethical issues with consuming animal produce. But we should be making informed food choices, and if you choose to, eggs can be included in a healthy diet pattern that is lower in saturated fats.

As always, stay fit and stay healthy!