18th March 2019 – (Hong Kong) In a recent study published on Friday in the medical journal from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, adults who eat more eggs and dietary cholesterol have a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
The research report confirmed that eating 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day was associated with a 17 percent higher risk of heart disease and an 18 percent higher risk of all-cause deaths. Eggs, specially the yolk, are a major source of dietary cholesterol. If you eat 3-4 eggs a week, you will have a 6% higher risk of heart disease and an 8% higher risk of all-cause death. A single egg yolk contains around 186 milligrams of cholesterol.
The research team pointed out that past studies did not take into account that egg consumption may be related to other unhealthy behaviours, such as low physical activity, smoking and an unhealthy diet. Also, cholesterol-containing foods are usually rich in saturated fat and animal protein. Their research papers, on the other hand, took into account these factors when evaluating the risks of eggs.
“Individuals should eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible while consuming a healthy eating pattern,” the guidelines state. “In general, foods that are higher in dietary cholesterol, such as fatty meats and high-fat dairy products, are also higher in saturated fats.”C