The controversy about whether eggs are good or bad for your heart health may be solved, and about one a day is fine.
In a new study, researchers found the answer by analyzing data from three large, long-term multinational studies.
They suggest there is no harm from consuming eggs. Given that the majority of individuals in the study consumed one or fewer eggs per day, it would be safe to consume this level.
The research was conducted by a team from the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and elsewhere.
Although eggs are an inexpensive source of essential nutrients, some guidelines have recommended limiting consumption to fewer than three eggs a week due to concerns they increase the risk of heart disease.
Previous studies on egg consumption and diseases have been contradictory, said Salim Yusuf, principal investigator of the study and director of PHRI.
The team says this is because most of these studies were relatively small or moderate in size and did not include individuals from a large number of countries.
In the study, they analyzed three international studies conducted by the PHRI.
Egg consumption of 146,011 individuals from 21 countries was recorded in the PURE study and in 31,544 patients with the vascular disease from the ONTARGET and the TRANSEND studies.
They found moderate egg intake, which is about one egg per day in most people, did not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease or mortality even if people have a history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
Also, no association was found between egg intake and blood cholesterol, its components or other risk factors.
The data from these three studies involved populations from 50 countries spanning six continents at different income levels, so the results are widely applicable.
The team says these findings are widely applicable to both healthy individuals and those with vascular disease.
The lead author of the study is Mahshid Dehghan, a PHRI researcher.
The study is published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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