The "myth" that eggs are bad for the heart has been debunked by scientists in a new study.
New research suggests that concerns at eggs raising cholesterol levels and being bad for heart health are unnecessary and based on confusion. Eggs are a common and relatively inexpensive source of protein and dietary cholesterol, but have been feared due the ongoing debate over their health benefits.
A total of 140 patients with or at high risk for cardiovascular disease were enrolled in the PROSPERITY trial, which aimed to assess the effects of eating 12 or more fortified eggs a week versus a non-egg diet on HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, as well as other key markers of cardiovascular health over a four-month study period.
LDL, also known as the "bad" cholesterol, builds up in the walls of your arteries, making them hard and narrow, whereas HDL (the "good" cholesterol) picks up excess cholesterol and takes it back to your liver. For their research, to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session, the team focused on fortified eggs as they contain less saturated fat and additional vitamins and minerals, such as iodine, vitamin D, selenium, vitamin B2, 5 and 12, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Patients had in-person clinic visits at the start of the study and visits at one and four months to take vital signs and have bloodwork done. Phone check-ins occurred at two and three months and patients in the fortified egg group were asked about their weekly egg consumption. Results showed a -0.64 mg/dL and a -3.14 mg/dL reduction in HDL-cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) and LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol), respectively, in the fortified egg group.
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While these differences weren't statistically significant, the researchers said that the differences suggest that eating 12 fortified eggs each week had no adverse effect on blood cholesterol. Researchers also observed a reduction in total cholesterol, LDL particle number, another lipid biomarker called apoB, high-sensitivity troponin (a marker of heart damage), and insulin resistance scores in the fortified egg group, while vitamin B increased.
The team say that their findings debunk the myth that eggs are bad and argue that eggs' bad reputation stems from confusion surrounding the cholesterol in egg yolks. They suggest that a more important consideration, especially in the context of these findings, might be what people are eating alongside their eggs, such as buttered toast, bacon and other processed meats, which are not heart healthy choices.
The experts conclude that it's a good idea for people with heart disease to talk with their doctor about a heart healthy diet. Dr Nina Nouhravesh, of Duke Clinical Research Institute in North Carolina, said: "We know that cardiovascular disease is, to some extent, mediated through risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and increased BMI and diabetes.
"Dietary patterns and habits can have a notable influence on these and there's been a lot of conflicting information about whether or not eggs are safe to eat, especially for people who have or are at risk for heart disease. This is a small study, but it gives us reassurance that eating fortified eggs is OK with regard to lipid effects over four months, even among a more high-risk population.
"While this is a neutral study, we did not observe adverse effects on biomarkers of cardiovascular health and there were signals of potential benefits of eating fortified eggs that warrant further investigation in larger studies as they are more hypothesis generating here."
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