Researchers have shown how moderate egg consumption can increase the amount of heart-healthy metabolites in the blood: 'This study may have implications for Chinese national dietary guideline'

Researchers have shown how moderate egg consumption can increase the amount of heart-healthy metabolites in the blood.

A new study has shown that eating eggs, which have been thought of for a long time to be a rich source of cholesterol in the diet, may lessen the chance of developing cardiovascular disease. According to the findings of a study that was conducted in China and published in the journal Heart, researchers monitored the eating habits of half a million adults in the country to determine whether or not there was a correlation between egg consumption and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Researchers from Peking University conducted a population-based study to investigate the influence that eating eggs has on blood markers of cardiovascular health in order to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between the two. The research looked at 4,778 people, 3,401 of whom had cardiovascular disease, and 1,377 of whom did not have any form of cardiovascular illness. The researchers measured 225 different metabolites in the blood plasma of the subjects by employing a targeted nuclear magnetic resonance technique.

According to the findings of the study, individuals who consumed a moderate amount of eggs had higher levels of apolipoprotein A1, a protein that is a building block of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as "good lipoprotein." Eggs are a rich source of the nutrient choline, which is essential for brain function. These people also had a higher concentration of big HDL molecules in their blood, which are known to remove cholesterol from blood arteries, hence reducing the risk of blockages that can result in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. In addition, the researchers found 14 metabolites that were connected to heart disease and discovered that participants who ate fewer eggs had lower levels of beneficial metabolites and higher levels of harmful metabolites compared to those who consumed eggs on a regular basis. The researchers concluded that eating eggs on a regular basis reduced the risk of heart disease.

According to Canqing Yu, Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Peking University, "Our results provide a potential explanation for how eating a moderate amount of eggs can help protect against heart disease."

"This study may have implications for Chinese national dietary guidelines and highlights the need for more strategies to encourage moderate egg consumption among the population," Liming Li, the senior author of the study and a Boya Distinguished Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Peking University, said. "This study also highlights the need for more strategies to encourage moderate egg consumption among the population to help lower the overall risk of cardiovascular disease."