People who love eating eggs consume 1-2 eggs daily, while some people who do not enjoy eating eggs or worry that eggs may raise cholesterol eat very few. Which group has a greater health advantage? Does eating eggs raise cholesterol and lead to cardiovascular diseases?
Do people who eat 2 eggs daily have health issues?
First, from the nutritional perspective of eggs, individuals who eat 2 eggs per day compared to those who eat very few eggs, assuming their other dietary intakes are the same, benefit from more protein from the eggs. This is significantly beneficial for preventing muscle loss and enhancing immunity. However, the main concern is whether eating 2 eggs daily, amounting to over 600 eggs a year, affects cardiovascular health?
Indeed, someone conducted such an experiment. A study published in 2018 in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” investigated the cardiovascular health of “people who eat 2 eggs daily versus those who eat fewer than 2 eggs weekly.” The study enrolled 128 participants, all of whom had type 2 diabetes. Would consuming a lot of eggs affect their health under these conditions?
The researchers divided them randomly into 2 groups:
Group 1 (Egg Lovers): ate ≥12 eggs weekly
Group 2 (Egg Avoiders): ate <2 eggs weekly
The study lasted for 1 year, divided into three phases:
Phase 1 (3 months): All participants maintained their current weight, keeping their egg consumption constant;
Phase 2 (3 months): All participants started losing weight and controlling their weight while keeping their egg intake unchanged;
Phase 3 (6 months): All participants continued their egg consumption unchanged.
The final results showed that the weight loss was similar for both groups, and there were no significant differences in cardiovascular metabolic indicators (such as blood lipids, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.). Additionally, there were no differences between the two groups in terms of blood sugar, inflammatory markers, or oxidative stress markers.
This result undoubtedly overturns many people’s preconceived notions. Eating more than 12 eggs per week translates to over 600 eggs in a year, yet cholesterol levels did not exceed normal limits, cardiovascular indicators were normal, and blood sugar and inflammatory markers were also normal, despite all participants being type 2 diabetes patients. This study also confirmed that daily egg consumption does not adversely affect cardiac metabolic markers. Dietary cholesterol intake does not significantly impact blood cholesterol levels.
There is a clear difference between those who eat two eggs daily and those who eat very few eggs!
Since consuming eggs does not impact cardiovascular health, where does the impact primarily lie? The research found that there is a clear distinction between individuals who consume 2 eggs daily and those who eat very few eggs!
In February 2024, researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College published a study in the journal “Food & Function” revealing that consuming 100 grams of whole eggs daily (approximately 2 eggs) significantly increases bone density, particularly in the femur and lumbar vertebrae!
