“Despite many years of research, this question about eggs and health has not been answered”

A study by Harvard University conducted on 215,000 people reveals that eating one egg per day is not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. 

However, a second report carried out on more than 500,000 subjects shows that eating an egg a day increases the risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This is because the yolk is loaded with cholesterol.

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“Despite many years of research this question about eggs and health has not been answered, with multiple observational studies over the last few decades showing conflicting results — some suggesting moderate egg intake is good, while others suggesting it may be bad,” said Riyaz Patel, a consultant cardiologist from the University College London.

The poultry industry has advertised that “eating eggs is amazing.” This food provides 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 of fat, and 1.6 of saturated fat, plus iron, vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin. However, it is convenient to remember the cholesterol level in the yolk of eggs, which can be 185 milligrams.

Healthy consumption

Dr Walter Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health, advises considering the nutritional pros and cons of food. 

For example, fish has, in addition to cholesterol, omega-3 fatty acids, essential for optimal health. 

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“If someone replaces eggs with doughnuts, other refined starches and sugar or saturated fats, I’d rather they eat eggs,” Willett said.

The Harvard study indicates that people with type 2 diabetes should monitor their egg intake. Higher consumption of this food increases cardiovascular risk. A new report looked at the possibility of safely replacing egg yolks with whites. In that case, taking egg substitutes reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 3%.

“In my view the recommendation made by the authors to replace whole eggs with egg whites/substitutes is not supported by the entirety of evidence available,” said Dr Patel. 

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Still, “Most studies have not looked at eggs without yolks,” Willett reported. In this way, it will be interesting to manage the consumption of this food like the rest: do it in a healthy way, without overdoing it and, in case of doubt, go to a doctor or nutrition professional who can assess the situation.

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