There’s good news for egg lovers during February, American Heart Month.Years of research have concluded that healthy adults can enjoy eggs without significantly impacting their risk of heart disease. In fact, a 9,500-subject cohort study published in the January 2007 issue of Medical Science Monitor concluded that eating one or more eggs per day does not increase the risk of coronary artery disease or stroke among healthy adults.i And a review of over 30 years of research on eggs published last year came to the same conclusion –that eating eggs daily does not have a significant impact on blood cholesterol or heart disease risk.ii“Many Americans are confused about the relationship between eggs, cholesterol and heart disease,” said StephenKritchevsky, Ph.D., director of the J. Paul Sticht Center at Wake Forest University. “Population-basedstudies consistently show that regular egg consumption has no measurable impact on heart disease risk among healthy,non-diabetic adults. What’s more, research shows that eating eggs does not significantly alter the ratio of LDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol, which is recognized as a better indicator of heart disease risk than an individual’s total cholesterol number orLDL number.iii“When it comes to nutrition, it is important to focus on the health benefits that foods provide,” according to registereddietitian, Mary Lee Chin. “Not only are eggs easy to prepare and economical, their nutrient package can contribute toweight management, eye health and even a baby’s brain development during pregnancy.Chin offers the following tips on including eggs in a healthy diet:• Eggs offer a variety of essential nutrients for only 75 calories each and can easily be used in tasty, healthydishes, especially when paired with fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods. Start the day off with a satisfyingcherry and portabella omelet, top a lunchtime salad with hard-cooked eggs, or try a fajita frittata for a fun familysupper. • Fill up not out! Maintain a healthy weight by eating filling protein foods. Eggs contain the highest-quality proteinavailable, and research shows that eggs eaten at the start of the day can reduce daily calorie intake and lowersnacking between meals.iv• Hit the gym – then crack some eggs. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining heart health and dietaryprotein is important for physically active individuals because exercise breaks down muscle proteins. Reach forhigh-quality protein foods, like eggs, after exercise to help muscles repair. • Research shows that eating eggs does not significantly increase the risk of heart disease among healthy adults. For those people who wish to boost their intake of omega-3 fatty acids, widely available omega-3 enriched eggsare one way to do so, especially when fish is unavailable.For more information, contact the Egg Nutrition News Bureau at 312-233-1211 or
[email protected].
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 2
i Qureshi, A et al. 2007. Regular egg consumption does not increase the risk of stroke or cardiovascular diseases. Medical Science Monitor. 13(1): CR1-8ii Lee A and B Griffin. 2006. Dietary cholesterol, eggs and coronary heart disease risk in perspective. Nutrition Bulletin (British Nutrition Foundation).31:21-27. iii Herron KL et al. 2003. Men classified as hypo- or hyperresponders to dietary cholesterol feeding exhibit differences in lipoprotein metabolism. J Nutr.133(4):1036-42.iv Vander Wal JS et al. 2005. Short-Term Effect of Eggs on Satiety in Overweight and Obese Subjects. J Am Coll Nutr. 24(6):510-515.
.gif "IP Gear")
