Eating up to three eggs a week reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 60%. This is the conclusion of a study published on December 22 in the scientific journal Nutrients. If we often blame eggs, accused in particular of increasing cholesterol, this new study contradicts the thesis that eating eggs is bad for your heart health. Cardiovascular diseases designate, as a reminder, any condition affecting the heart or blood vessels.
Egg: a good food for your heart?
To reach these conclusions, and confirm the virtues of the egg for your heart, the researchers carried out a study on 3,042 men and women from Athens, Greece. The trial participants then completed questionnaires regarding the number of eggs they consumed per week, either whole or as part of a recipe. Ten years later, a cardiovascular disease assessment was performed on the more than 3,000 volunteers.
Result, the study revealed that 317 of them had actually suffered from cardiovascular disease during this period. The researchers found that among people who ate one egg or less per weekthe cardiovascular disease incidence rate was 18%. For people who ate one to four eggs per week, this incidence rate was 9%, and those who ate 4 to 7 eggs per week had an incidence risk of 8%.
1 to 3 eggs per week: -60% risk of cardiovascular disease
According to the study, participants who ate one to three eggs per week had a 60% reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and those who ate 4 to 7 had a 75% reduced risk. However, taking into account the potential intake of saturated fatty acids from eggs, it was concluded by the researchers that the consumption ofone to three eggs a week was safer for cardiovascular health. “In the case of a higher consumption of saturated fatty acids, only one to three eggs per week seemed to protect once morest cardiovascular disease”, indeed recalls the study.
“Eggs remain one of the most ‘controversial’ foods due to their saturated fatty acid content (3 g/100 g) and cholesterol (370 mg/100 g), as well as their composition, which is rich in high-quality protein, iron, fat-soluble vitamins, minerals and carotenoids”, indicate the researchers. . They therefore recall that the consumption of eggs must be associated with a healthy diet in order to be able to take advantage of their benefits.
“This is consistent with the results of a cohort study implemented in Italy, where the worsening effect of increased egg consumption was primarily related to overall dietary cholesterol intake.”
Heart: the protective role of eggs demonstrated
“In the context of a rather contradictory literature, our study of a sample of individuals of Mediterranean origin suggests that the eggs may even have a protective role in the appearance of cardiovascular diseasesbut only when adhering to a generally healthy dietary pattern characterized by a low intake of overall saturated fatty acids,” the researchers conclude.
The recommendation of one to three eggs per week to protect your heart cardiovascular disease is in line with the current recommendation of most health organizations and international guidelines that recommend consuming two to four eggs per week. So you know how to integrate the egg into your diet to make it a healthy food. Contrary to popular belief, the egg would even be a slimming ally.
