How eating eggs is good for heart health
Chinese researchers from Peking University in Beijing have found regular egg consumption leads to increased levels of a heart-healthy protein in the blood, and inevitably more high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which can help clear cholesterol from the blood vessels. These findings come from a study of individuals who ate a moderate amount of eggs and were observed to have greater protection against cholesterol blockages that can lead to heart attacks and stroke.
To understand how plasma cholesterol metabolism plays a role in the association between egg consumption and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, Lang Pan, MSc at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Peking University, and colleagues, studied over 4,770 adults for metabolites in their plasma samples. The researchers used a technique called targeted nuclear magnetic resonance to measure the metabolites, 24 of which that were associated with self-reported levels of egg consumption – of these, 14 metabolites were linked to heart disease.
Additionally, the researchers found that participants who regularly ate eggs had high levels of a beneficial protein called apolipoprotein A1, which is a building-block for HDL, a type of good lipoprotein. These individuals had more large HDL molecules in their blood and were protected from cardiovascular disease.
“Together, our results provide a potential explanation for how eating a moderate amount of eggs can help protect against heart disease,” said Canqing Yu, Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University.
However, Yu added that more studies are needed to verify causal roles that lipid metabolites play in the association between egg consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
According to a senior member of the university, Liming Li, Boya Distinguished Professor, also from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, the findings of this study highlight the need for more strategies to encourage moderate egg consumption among the [Chinese] population, to help lower the overall risk of cardiovascular disease.
