Two eggs a day does not increase total or LDL cholesterol
Baku, December 10 (AZERTAC). Results from a small exploratory study show that individuals who consume two eggs per day as part of an energy restricted weight loss diet do not have increased plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or increased weight compared with non-consumers on the same diet.
“The observation that high intakes of dietary cholesterol can increase plasma cholesterol in a number of species has led to the belief that the intake of dietary cholesterol, in humans, should be restricted,” commented Nicola Harman (University of Surrey, UK) who presented the results at the Heart UK 23rd Annual Conference in Liverpool, UK.
“However, energy-restricted diets, that may contain a relatively high proportion of fat and cholesterol, have been shown to produce neutral or in some cases favorable effects on plasma cholesterol,” she added.
Harman and colleagues recruited 45 participants, aged 43.9 years on average, with a mean baseline body mass index (BMI) of 29.5 kg/m2 who were randomly assigned to follow an energy restricted diet including two eggs per day (n=24) or the same diet excluding eggs (n=21) for a period of 12 weeks.
Body weight and lipid profiles of participants were measured at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks.
The researchers observed a significant weight loss in both groups at 12 weeks of 3.3 kg and 4.4 kg in the egg-fed and control groups, respectively.
LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol were also significantly decreased in the egg-fed and control groups at 12 weeks by approximately 0.125 versus 0.160 mmol/l (4.834 vs 6.187 mg/dl) and 0.225 versus 0.266 mmol/l (8.701 vs 10.286 mg/dl), respectively,. at 12 weeks.
Harman conceded that the study was small, but said that their results should give people who are trying to lose weight the confidence to include eggs as part of their daily diet.
MedWire (www.medwire-news.md) is an independent clinical news service provided by Current Medicine Group, a part of Springer Science+Business Media. © Current Medicine Group Ltd; 2009
Other news in this section
