Eating an Egg a Day May Curb Heart Disease Risk

It wasn't long ago when medical professionals cautioned against the consumption of eggs, believing this popular breakfast food contributes to heart disease. The general belief was that the high cholesterol content of eggs clogs the arteries and increases the risk of heart disease. This myth has since been debunked, however, and now many medical professionals say that eating eggs can curb the risk of heart disease.

In fact, one of the latest studies has found that people who eat a single egg a day have a lower risk of developing heart disease than their counterparts who don't eat any eggs. For the study, Chinese researchers analyzed nearly a half-million adults over a period of nine years, paying close attention to their egg consumption and heart disease risk factors.

So, what did they find? After analyzing the results, researchers concluded that participants who consumed a single egg per day were 28% less likely to die from stroke and 26% less likely to suffer a hemorrhagic stroke than participants who didn't consume any eggs. Furthermore, participants who consumed a single egg per day were 12% less likely to develop ischemic heart disease -- a condition that's characterized by decreased oxygen and blood to the heart.

It's important to note that this study was limited to middle-aged adults in China. However, it's safe to assume that these same effects are experienced by people throughout the world, regardless of region.

"Our findings suggested that daily egg consumption (<1 egg) was associated with lower risk of CVD, IHD, MCE, haemorrhagic stroke and ischaemic stroke among Chinese middle-aged adults. Our findings contribute scientific evidence to the dietary guidelines with regard to egg consumption for the healthy Chinese adult," wrote researchers in the study's paper.

How can eggs offer such amazing health benefits? Researchers were reluctant to speculate on an answer. However, eggs themselves are highly nutritious and make an excellent breakfast meal. A single egg only contains about 75 calories, but it packs a plethora of beneficial nutrients, including 63 mg of potassium, 6 grams protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, vitamin B-6, magnesium, calcium and iron.

Eggs are still high in dietary cholesterol, but this shouldn't prevent you from making them a part of your daily diet. Dietary cholesterol is different than blood cholesterol, and consuming foods that are high in dietary cholesterol won't translate into high blood cholesterol levels. Just remember to follow a balanced diet that consists of lean meats, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

This study was published in the medical journal BMJ.