Eggs and type 2 diabetes

it was recently on the forum..a lot of it traces back to 7th day Adventist's, and no farmed birds ..the sites are normally vegan...which is ok..but..,
people have been eating eggs for a long time, till the 70's and cholesterol and egg consumption collapsed.
None of the vegan stuff had any causation that I saw, it was in isolation, higher than 1 egg a week was higher death risk..or something
very poor science when eggs use to be a staple with every man and his dog with a chook shed

the only negative I know is don't eat raw white with the raw yoke, as it stops the yoke being absorbed properly

Adelle, if you search the forums you will find several threads about egg consumption. Personally I eat on average 2 a day, some days none, some days 3. I have always eaten a lot of eggs, not just since being on a low carb diet.

Years ago they were outlawed as they contain cholesterol, but it has since been found that dietary cholesterol has very little effect on our body cholesterol. Our own bodies make that, and very little comes from food.

As you say,there are conflicting studies. First the bad 'news'
One meta-analysis looked at both the risk of developing diabetes and the CVD risks associated with egg consumption.
They found that egg consumption did not increase CVD risk in the general population, but higher levels of egg consumption were associated with a higher increase the risk of developing diabetes in the general population .
They also found that those with diabetes who ate more eggs had a higher risk of CVD.

Now as they mention there could well be other confounding factors .One thought that came to me is that these trials took place when diabetics were explicitly told not to eat very many eggs. Could it be that those who ate a lot were also less to be 'compliant' in other ways? (we don't know)
In their discussion they suggest that people with T2 are at high risk of CVD and 'presumably' may be more sensitive to egg consumption. However they also mention a small trial where people with T2 eating 12 eggs a week on a high protein/low calorie diet had improved blood glucose,lipids and blood pressure. (so it may depend on diet context)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3683816/?report=reader
The high protein/ egg trial is here
http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=/BJN/BJN105_04/S0007114510003983a.pdf&code=7802e5912c9f6fb167d2aaa56a4c8e16

Since that meta analysis there was a short trial reported at the EASD meeting which could be said to be the better news.


Interestingly the introduction points out the difference between guidelines in different countries

The Heart foundation in Australia suggests a limit of 6 eggs per week in the context of a low sat fat diet.
The US guidelines place a limit of 4 eggs per week in the context of a Med style diet (rather than low fat)
In the UK, however , there is no limit placed on the number of eggs per week. The emphasis is on lowering saturated fat,


In this 3 month trial , 140 people with T2 were randomised into two groups , one group eating less than 2 eggs a week, one eating 12 eggs per week.

Both diets had similar proportions of carbs, protein, fats and calories. It was a weight maintenance diet. Everyone was advised to replace saturated fats with mono and polyunsaturated fats.
There was no difference between the groups in terms of total cholesterol,LDL cholesterol, trigs or glucose control
There was no significant differences between HDL but there was a trend towards improved HDL levels in the high egg group
The people who ate eggs reported that they feeling fuller.

Conclusion : egg consumption did not have an adverse effect on the lipid profile of those with T2DM. This study suggests that a high egg diet can be included safely as part of dietary management of T2DM and it may provide greater satiety.
http://www.easdvirtualmeeting.org/resources/18756

So both these fairly recent trials on high egg eating and T2 showed possible increases in HDL and no other effects. Both defined high as 12 eggs per week.
(neither though was in the context of a high fat diet)

I have just been browsing another Diabetes forum and the majority of members seem to be American On a thread about what do people eat on a low carb diet they seem to eat far more eggs than they do meat I personally eat about 6 eggs a week

I've found eggs again and don't know what I have been missing. Eggs have been about since time immemorial and give any scientific studies short shrift. It's like the wine is good/wine is bad. Most people dropping with heart attacks have either a genetic disposition or eat slabs of butter on top of their deep fried pizzas lol

eddie1968 said:

I've found eggs again and don't know what I have been missing. Eggs have been about since time immemorial and give any scientific studies short shrift. It's like the wine is good/wine is bad. Most people dropping with heart attacks have either a genetic disposition or eat slabs of butter on top of their deep fried pizzas lol

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Two very different things there - deep fried (or even normal) pizza is bad for a T2 who is trying to low carb.
Slabs of butter, on the other hand, are generally a good thing and are a vital ingredient in bullet proof coffee.
Fats have now been un-daemonised and there is more concern about the chemical processes required to produce low fat spreads.

On the subject of eggs, I eat around two a day as a source of no carb fat and protein.
Quite often scrambled in butter.

I eat one every day for my breakfast. Food trials can be very misleading because there are too many other variables to consider. You can find research for and against most things. For example, fish is good for you, but wait a minute, what about polluted sea waters? etc. You would be scared to eat anything if you read all these reports.
In my opinion, look for good science. If there is a good scientific explanation which can explain the exact mechanisms of how a food is processed in the body and what effect it has, then that might be worth listening to, but even then, every body is different!

LittleGreyCat said:

Two very different things there - deep fried (or even normal) pizza is bad for a T2 who is trying to low carb.
Slabs of butter, on the other hand, are generally a good thing and are a vital ingredient in bullet proof coffee.
Fats have now been un-daemonised and there is more concern about the chemical processes required to produce low fat spreads.

On the subject of eggs, I eat around two a day as a source of no carb fat and protein.
Quite often scrambled in butter.

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I was being flippant lol...pizza in any form is bad for me.

I hadn't eaten eggs for years, not because of the cholesterol scare but because I often found them indigestible. However, I have tried them out again as part of the lchf diet, and I've had no problems so far. However, I have only had them occasionally, certainly not on a daily basis as I'm still a bit scared of them

Very similar story. Ignored eggs for many years but love my boiled, poached and scrambled egg. And cheese omlette..yum

eddie1968 said:

Very similar story. Ignored eggs for many years but love my boiled, poached and scrambled egg. And cheese omlette..yum

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Still can't bring myself to eat an omelette Eddie, but I do enjoy scrambled eggs made with lots of butter, yum!

I never used to eat eggs either... I used to find they repeated on me, the only time I ever had egg was when I bought low fat egg mayo to have with my jacket potatoes.. this was one of my favorite healthy dinners!. Then I discovered this site, and just how unhealthy some of my fav foods were... Now I have discovered eggs again.. I love an Omelette... had never made one before i joined this site, but now my housemates tell me I am the queen of omelettes lol I like mine with a little cheese and loads of mushrooms... its my go to food now when I am fed up, down or just plain hungry and want a quick fix.. and more importantly my BS and cholesterol seem to love eggs and omelettes too

Kezzer4321 said:

I never used to eat eggs either... I used to find they repeated on me, the only time I ever had egg was when I bought low fat egg mayo to have with my jacket potatoes.. this was one of my favorite healthy dinners!. Then I discovered this site, and just how unhealthy some of my fav foods were... Now I have discovered eggs again.. I love an Omelette... had never made one before i joined this site, but now my housemates tell me I am the queen of omelettes lol I like mine with a little cheese and loads of mushrooms... its my go to food now when I am fed up, down or just plain hungry and want a quick fix.. and more importantly my BS and cholesterol seem to love eggs and omelettes too

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Nice one @Kezzer4321 Same here in many respects. I used to love a jacket potato, generally with tinned tuna mixed with mayo - so wrong!

i have hens ... so i eat eggs

I'm not a great egg lover, but now usually eat a 2 egg omelette (also with cheese and mushrooms ) once a week, plus up to another 3-4 in my almond and hazelnut muffins, or no-pastry "quiche". Scrambled, boiled, or fried eggs I can't cope with though...

Robbity

I usually have 2 eggs a day at breakfast, either fried with bacon (with or without mushrooms and tomatoes) or scrambled (plain or also with mushrooms or tomatoes).

Had a mega plate full of ham and eggs for tea. Same again until the pig has been eaten and the chickens stop laying. My father lived for 82 years without dietary advice and lived on enough dairy and fat to keep an army going. Skinny as a bean pole, fit and active all his life. So eat the eggs.

i very often start the day with a couple of veggie sausages with poached eggs and mushrooms with a slice of toast and tomatoes - sets me up nicely til lunchtime!

I'm a US nutritionist specializing in weight loss and type 2 diabetes. When I meet a dietician or nutritionist, first thing I ask them is "What do your thing about eggs?" Their answer tells me how good they are in their present occupation. Here is my take on eggs: Dietary cholesterol has nothing to do with your serum (blood) cholesterol. Many Studies prove this, plus latest science says saturated fat is protective for your heart, but eating high glycemic is a direct and indirect cause of heart disease. That's why doctors want to put you on a statin drug, because they know a low fat diet has little effect on cholesterol.
The egg is a nutritional powerhouse. The egg white is over 90% protein with no fat. The yolk has many vitamins and minerals diabetics need, especially for the eyes. It's almost a complete nutritional food your body loves, but there is one problem with eggs. Egg yolk is one of the two highest food sources of arachidonic acid. AA is the mother of all inflammation in your body. The other food is red meat. If you cut down red meat and egg yolk, you will reduce inflammation in your body. So what I recommend for diabetics is use 1 yolk and 2 or 3 egg white and scramble it or make an omlet.. All diabetics should be taking B6, B12, and folic acid because this lowers c reactive protein, the marker for general inflammation in your body. Diabetics don't need more inflammation, they've got plenty already.