The habitual consumption of eggs does not appear to increase cholesterol: this is indicated by the study presented at the congress of the American College of Cardiology by the Duke Clinical Research Institute of Durham (North Carolina) and conducted on 140 patients with cardiovascular diseases or at high cardiovascular risk.
The goal of the study, called Prosperity, was to evaluate the effects of consuming 12 or more eggs per week compared to an egg-free diet (fewer than two eggs per week) on good and bad cholesterol levels, as well as other key indicators of cardiovascular health. It was found that cholesterol levels remained similar among people who consumed eggs on most days of the week compared to those who did not consume eggs.
“We know that cardiovascular disease is, in part, mediated by risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, being overweight and diabetes. Diet can have a significant influence on these factors and there has been much confusion in the information given about eggs , about whether they were safe to eat, especially for people at risk of heart disease,” notes research coordinator Nina Nouhravesh. "This - continues the researcher - is a small study, but it gives us reassurance on the fact that eating eggs is acceptable with regards to the effects on fats over the course of four months, even for a population more at risk".
Nouhravesh and her team wanted to look specifically at fortified eggs because they contain less saturated fat and added vitamins and minerals, such as iodine, vitamin D, selenium, vitamins B2, 5, and 12, and omega-3 fatty acids. Patients were randomly assigned to consume 12 fortified eggs per week (prepared any way they liked) or to consume fewer than two eggs of any type (fortified or not) per week. All patients, monitored periodically with periodic visits and blood tests, were 50 years or older (average age 66 years), with a previous cardiovascular event or two cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, overweight or diabetes.
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