When I was growing up, my family lived in fear of the demon Cholesterol. It was because my dad had a bloated count and had to go on a low cholesterol diet and for some reason (possibly my mom’s desire to cook only one dinner a night), we all had to go on it too . The core of a low cholesterol diet was a fear of eggs. Specifically egg yolks, which we learned were small yellow cholesterol bombs. We learned how to separate the whites from each other and scrape egg beaters. Then one day eggs were explained well again, and my dad learned to learn how to turn them over easily so he could eat them every morning for breakfast.
But apparently eggs are bad again? ‘Well,’ CNN reports, “A new study among more than 500,000 people found that even a portion of a whole egg is eaten – with its cholesterol-laden yellow yoke [sic] – increases the risk of dying from all causes, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. In fact, the overall death risk increased by 7% for each additional half whole egg per day. according to the study published in PLOS Medicine. ”
This directly contradicts a study by Harvard last year which found that it would eat one egg a day not increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
So what gives? Can we eat eggs without dying or what? CNN spoke to several experts who pointed out that the study only asked about egg consumption without considering the rest of the subjects’ diets. Saturated fats have a much greater effect on LDL (low-density lipoproteins) in the blood – or the bad cholesterol – than foods that actually contain cholesterol, such as eggs.
“If someone replaced eggs with donuts, other refined starches and sugar or saturated fats, I would rather eat eggs,” said Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, said. told CNN. “But for someone who really wants to be healthy, it’s a better way to focus on plant-based protein sources like steel-cut oatmeal and nuts.”
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The PLOS A study also claims that replacing egg whites with whole eggs reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 3%, but CNN’s experts remain skeptical.
Riyaz Patel, a consultant cardiologist at University College London, thought there was not enough evidence in the study to justify the recommendation to eat egg whites. “I do not think this study changes the general advice that for most people eggs can be eaten moderately as part of a balanced diet unless they are advised not to do so for a specific medical or dietary step,” he said. said.