Nutrition Unscrambled

New Research: Eggs and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

By Mitch Kanter, Ph.D.
August 3rd, 2011

In a recent blog post I mentioned the symposium that the Egg Nutrition Center recently coordinated at the Experimental Biology meetings in Washington DC that looked at the implications of dietary cholesterol intake on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. I mentioned that the four symposium speakers, all of whom are experts in cardiovascular health and disease, concluded that the scientific literature does not generally support the relationship between cholesterol intake, serum cholesterol, and heart disease risk for the majority of the population. And a study recently published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition by a group from Spain (Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in the SUN Project).bears this out.  

The researchers correlated egg consumption with the incidence of CVD in 14,000 Mediterranean subjects. Subjects were categorized as non-egg consumers, <1 egg/wk, 1 egg/wk, 2-4 eggs/wk, and >4 eggs/wk. In short, no association was found between egg consumption and the incidence of CVD. In light of a number of recent research findings indicating that dietary cholesterol does not appear to be as unhealthy as previously thought, these results were not surprising. But for many, results like these do represent a break from “traditional’ (at least for the past 40 years or so) ways of thinking about the diet/disease relationship. Newer studies increasingly indicate that some dietary fats may not be as unhealthy as previously thought, and that some fats may actually carry health benefits. Other studies suggest that we eat more protein, and cut back on carbohydrate intake (particularly refined carbs and sugars) to help to ensure optimal health. The nutrition research landscape is ever-changing as our understanding about specific foods and diet patterns evolves. Keep your eyes and ears open. In the nutrition world, it’s easy to learn something new every day!



About

Nutrition Unscrambled  is written by nutrition experts with the Egg Nutrition Center, which is funded by the American Egg Board. It is monitored and maintained by the public relations agency of record. The mission of the Egg Nutrition Center is to be a credible source of nutrition and health science information and the acknowledged leader in research and education related to eggs. For more information, click here.

About the Bloggers

Mitch Kanter, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the Egg Nutrition Center. For more information about
Mitch, click here.
Marcia Greenblum, MS, RD is the Senior Director, Nutrition Education at the Egg Nutrition Center. For more information about Marcia, click here.
Anna Shlachter, MS, RD, LDN is the Program Manager, Nutrition Research and Communications at the Egg Nutrition Center. For more information about Anna, click here.

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Disclaimer

All information provided within this blog is for informational and educational purposes only and it is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. Please consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or before making changes to your diet or health behaviors.