Skip the omelet, Chinese researchers urge. According to them, eating only half an egg a day increases the risk of death by 7% – if you do not cut the yolks. Scientists believe that the high levels of fat and cholesterol in eggs are to blame, so they advise using only proteins or switching to healthier egg substitutes.
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A study by Chinese scientists argues that boiled eggs, scrambled eggs or omelet are a health threat, and eating more of them increases the risk of death.
As writes Daily MailThe researchers found that eating as little as half a whole egg, including yolk and white, increased the chance of death by seven percent.
The risk of death increases by an additional seven percent for every half egg above that, so a person who eats one egg a day is 14 percent more likely to die than someone who avoids that food.
The Chinese scientists who conducted the study believe that the high levels of fat and cholesterol in eggs are to blame. They warned that people should only use protein or switch to healthier egg substitutes that reduce the risk of death.
Replacing half a whole egg with an equivalent amount of nuts or legumes reduces the death rate by up to a third, according to these claims. Poultry, meals, or dairy products have shown a similar effect.
Between 1995 and 1996, researchers surveyed over half a million Americans and followed them for 16 years. The data from this study, published in PLOS ONE, shows that 129,328 people who completed the original form died.
One of the study’s authors, Professor Yu Zhang of Zhejiang University, says, “In this study, egg and cholesterol consumption was associated with higher all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The increased mortality associated with egg consumption was largely dependent on cholesterol intake. ”
The link between eggs and health has been debated for years. Eggs have long been considered a healthy food supplement. They are included in the national dietary guidelines of many countries. But this food, especially egg yolk, is rich in cholesterol, which is known to be harmful.
The researchers asked participants how much cholesterol they were getting in their diet besides eggs, and found that an additional 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day was 19 percent more likely to die over the next 16 years. Deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease increased by 24 and 16 percent, respectively.
“Our results suggest limiting cholesterol intake and replacing whole eggs with egg white or substitutes or other alternative protein sources to improve cardiovascular health and long-term survival,” the study authors say. Cholesterol can build up in your arteries, causing a blood clot to form, which can cut off your blood supply, potentially causing stroke or heart disease.
Meanwhile, as the Daily Mail points out, the British National Health Service says eggs are part of a healthy and balanced diet. In addition to being a source of protein, they also contain vitamins and minerals.
“This study explores the relationship between what people have eaten in the past and whether it might be related to disease or death in the future,” said Dr. Ada Garcia, senior lecturer in the Department of Public Affairs at the University of Glasgow. – The authors were very careful in analyzing the data and considered many aspects that can skew the results. The study concluded that retirees who ate more whole eggs had a seven percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. ”
However, Dr. Ada Garcia criticized the Chinese team’s methodology and findings, saying, “Being overweight or obese, smoking or drinking too much alcohol, and physical inactivity are far more important factors to consider in preventing chronic disease and related death with them. The findings of this study are exaggerated. Blaming eggs alone for the increased risk of heart disease is a simplistic and reductionist approach to the concept of diet and disease prevention. ”
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