People who ate an egg a day had a lower risk of developing heart disease, according to findings from a new study.
The research, published in the journal Heart, is potentially significant for people with diabetes who are deemed at greater risk of developing heart and cardiovascular disease.
People who adopt a healthy lifestyle, based on eating real foods rather than processed foods and getting daily physical activity, can significantly reduce the risk ofheart disease.
Last week an Australian team said that eggs do not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes, and this new evidence further supports the health benefits of eggs.
The most recent study, conducted by the Peking University Health Science Centre in China, looked at data from more than 416,000 people between 2004-2008. A total of 13.1% ate eggs on a daily basis, while 9.1% rarely ate them.
Nine years later researchers revisited the trial participants and found those who ate up to one egg a day had a 26% lower risk of having a stroke and a 28% lower risk of dying from stroke, compared with non-consumers.
Daily egg consumers also had an 18% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death from CVD. Among those who consumed an estimated five eggs a week, the risk factor was heart disease was 12% less compared to those who ate around two.
The authors wrote: “This present study finds that there is an association between moderate level of egg consumption (up to one egg per day) and a lower cardiac event rate. Our findings contribute scientific evidence to the dietary guidelines with regard to egg consumption for the healthy Chinese adult.”
Commenting on the findings, Professor Nita Forouhi, of the Medical Research Council epidemiology unit at the University of Cambridge, said: “The take-home message of this research from a large study from China is that at the very least up to one egg a day is not linked with raised cardiovascular risk, and at best up to one egg a day may even have health benefits.
“The researchers accounted for many dietary and other behaviours in their analyses, but it is important to emphasise that eggs are not eaten in isolatio, and overall healthy or unhealthy dietary patterns will always matter.”
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