Eating one egg a day may help lower Cardiovascular Disease risk

Researchers have shown how moderate egg consumption can increase the amount of heart-healthy metabolites in the blood. The findings suggest that eating up to one egg per day may help lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

 A 2018 study published in the journal Heart, which included approximately half a million adults in China, found that those who ate eggs daily (about one egg per day) had a substantially lower risk of heart disease and stroke than those who ate eggs less frequently. Now, to better understand this relationship, the authors carried out a population-based study exploring how egg consumption affects markers of cardiovascular health in the blood. 

 A total of 4,778 participants of whom 3,401 had a cardiovascular disease. They used a technique called targeted nuclear magnetic resonance to measure 225 metabolites in plasma samples taken from the participant's blood. Of these metabolites, they identified 24 that were associated with self-reported levels of egg consumption.

Their analyses showed that individuals who ate a moderate amount of eggs had higher levels of a protein in their blood called apolipoprotein A1– a building-block of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as 'good lipoprotein'.

These individuals especially had more large HDL molecules in their blood, which help clear cholesterol from the blood vessels and thereby protect against blockages that can lead to heart attacks and stroke. The researchers further identified 14 metabolites that are linked to heart disease. They found that participants who ate fewer eggs had lower levels of beneficial metabolites and higher levels of harmful ones in their blood, compared to those who ate eggs more regularly.

Together, the results provided a potential explanation for how eating a moderate amount of eggs can help protect against heart disease.