{"id":37361,"date":"2022-08-25T15:15:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-25T20:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.incredibleegg.org\/?post_type=nutrition_article&p=37361"},"modified":"2023-06-21T15:58:10","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T20:58:10","slug":"growing-evidence-supports-eggs-as-a-beneficial-addition-to-healthy-diets-even-for-people-who-are-at-higher-risk-for-cardiovascular-disease","status":"publish","type":"nutrition_article","link":"https:\/\/www.incredibleegg.org\/nutrition\/articles\/growing-evidence-supports-eggs-as-a-beneficial-addition-to-healthy-diets-even-for-people-who-are-at-higher-risk-for-cardiovascular-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing evidence supports eggs as a beneficial addition to healthy diets, even for people who are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The American Heart Association (AHA) Science Advisory: Dietary Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Risk<\/em> indicates that \u201chealthy individuals can include up to a whole egg or equivalent daily\u201d as part of a heart-healthy dietary pattern.  \u201cFor older normocholesterolemic patients, given the nutritional benefits and convenience of eggs, consumption of up to 2 eggs per day is acceptable within the context of a heart-healthy dietary pattern1<\/sup>.\u201d  The AHA expresses caution, however, around the consumption of dietary cholesterol for patients with dyslipidemia, suggesting a gap in research for a subgroup of the population at risk for cardiovascular disease.  Of importance, a growing body of evidence indicates that eating eggs as part of a healthy diet does not negatively impact blood cholesterol levels and may benefit health, even in people at risk for cardiovascular disease2-5<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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A recent randomized controlled crossover intervention recruited 30 men and women aged 35-70 with metabolic syndrome (MetS) to follow a plant-based healthy diet (excluding meat, poultry, fish, and seafood) for 13 weeks.  Participants were randomized to eat spinach with two eggs for breakfast or spinach with egg substitute and then crossed over to the opposite intervention.  The data showed lower body weight and higher HDL cholesterol after the egg intervention compared to the substitute.  No differences were observed in plasma LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, or blood pressure.  Blood levels of choline were higher after the egg intervention compared to the substitute; lutein increased during both interventions, and zeaxanthin increased only after the egg intervention.  The authors conclude, \u201cThis study demonstrates that consuming whole eggs in combination with a plant-based diet offers a healthier dietary pattern when compared to egg substitutes by favorably affecting plasma lipids and antioxidant carotenoids, as well as choline, thereby reducing disease risk3<\/sup>.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Importantly, this is also consistent with other studies that have similarly found a beneficial impact of including eggs in the diet:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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