Zhejiang University study: Eating one more egg a day may increase the risk of death from heart disease and cancer? Really

Lao Yang and Lao Xu happened to come together to buy eggs at the supermarket where eggs were discounted.

"Old Yang, how many eggs do you eat a day now?"

"One a day is enough, but don't eat too much. I heard on the Internet that eating too many eggs will increase the risk of cardiovascular and cancer."

"Ah? No, I eat 2 a day... No wonder the previous physical examination showed that the cholesterol was too high, why don't I eat a goose egg instead?"

"Goose eggs look big. I think eggs are more nutritious. I'd rather eat eggs."

Speaking of "eggs", common eggs include eggs, (salted) duck eggs, and goose eggs. ,Why is this?

1. Eating one more egg a day increases the risk of death?

Eggs are a good source of high-quality protein, vitamins and other bioactive nutrients (such as lecithin, carotenoids), but there are many claims on the Internet recently, "Eating one more egg a day increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. "Is this reliable?

Last year, Zhejiang University published a cohort study of 520,000 people in PLOS Medicine that found that egg and cholesterol intake were associated with higher all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer mortality .

And, to a large extent, total cholesterol intake also affects mortality associated with egg consumption.

For example, an additional 300 mg of cholesterol per day in the diet was associated with a 19% increase in all-cause mortality, a 16% increase in cardiovascular disease mortality, and a 24% increase in cancer mortality.

But at the same time, the study also found that limiting cholesterol intake and replacing whole eggs with egg whites or egg substitutes such as poultry, fish, dairy, nuts, and legumes can promote cardiovascular health and long-term survival.

For example, eating only 25 grams of egg white per day in place of half a whole egg (an egg weighs about 50 grams) can reduce cardiovascular mortality by 3%, cancer mortality by 8%, and respiratory disease mortality by 20%. %.

Why is it bad for your health to eat more eggs? This is because the cholesterol in egg yolks can easily accumulate in the arteries and form blood clots, causing atherosclerosis, which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Recently, a new study involving 4,778 people published in the scientific journal "eLife" by Yu Canqing's team from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Peking University found that proper egg intake can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease .

Therefore, it is very important to eat the right amount of eggs.

According to the recommendations of the 2022 version of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", the weekly egg intake of normal adults is preferably 300-350 grams , which is equivalent to eating 6-7 eggs a week.

Second, eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, which is more nutritious?

The common eggs are mainly eggs, duck eggs and goose eggs. Is there any difference in the nutrient content between these three eggs? Which eggs have higher nutritional value?

1. Protein

Under normal circumstances, the protein content of different eggs is about 13 grams / 100 grams, there is little difference. Among the three types of eggs, goose eggs have the highest protein content , containing about 14 grams of protein per 100 grams; while eggs have the lowest protein content, containing about 12 grams of protein per 100 grams.

2. Vitamins

The content of various vitamins in different eggs will vary slightly. Among them, eggs are rich in vitamin D, containing about 1.6 micrograms per 100 grams, which is equivalent to 80 international units (IU) of vitamin D, which is 1.3 times that of other single products.

The content of vitamin B12 is relatively rich in goose and duck eggs , which are significantly higher than other eggs. As for other fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A/E/K, the difference between different eggs is actually very small.

3. Mineral elements

Comparing the mineral element content of the three eggs, eggs were higher in potassium and sodium, duck eggs were higher in phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and goose eggs were higher in iron and selenium.

In fact, from the perspective of nutrients, the overall differences between the three types of eggs are not too big . However, the "Dietary Guidelines" recommend that different eggs are best eaten in rotation, which is more beneficial to health.

3. Goose eggs are bigger, why don't many people like to eat them?

Have you ever eaten goose eggs? Compared with one egg a day, some people may not eat a goose egg once. Obviously, the nutrition of both is similar, but the goose egg is bigger, why is it not popular?

Low Yield

A female goose can only lay dozens of eggs every year, because the female goose has a rest period of about 4-5 months in a year. A hen can lay as many as 200-300 eggs per year.

more expensive

Due to the small output of goose eggs, the rare thing is the most expensive, the price of a goose egg is about 5-6 yuan; the price of an egg is generally 4-5 yuan per catty, and there are about 7-8 eggs per catty, which is converted into The price of an egg is about 0.5-0.7 yuan.

poor taste

Due to the strong fishy smell, the taste of goose eggs is somewhat oily, and the texture is relatively rough. Some people may even think that it tastes strange, as if chewing wax, so many people do not like to eat goose eggs.

Eggs have less fishy smell and better flavor after cooking, so they are loved by everyone.

In addition, there is a saying that "goose eggs can detoxify the fetus", but this is actually nonsense . The nutrient content of goose eggs is similar to that of eggs, and the functions are similar. They do not have the effect of "detoxification", and there is no scientific basis for this statement.

However, since goose eggs contain a variety of proteins, excessive intake during pregnancy may lead to an increase in the level of uric acid in pregnant women , which will also increase the burden on the kidneys. Therefore, it is recommended to eat goose eggs in moderation in the third trimester, but not more.

4. Will eating eggs raise cholesterol?

Many people are afraid to eat eggs because they are worried that their cholesterol is too high. Does eating eggs really make the cholesterol too high?

Ruan Guangfeng, director of the Science and Technology Department of the Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center, explained that only a small part (about 30%) of cholesterol in the human body comes from diet, and most (70-80%) is synthesized by the liver itself .

Moreover, some of the cholesterol ingested from the diet cannot be absorbed and utilized by the human body, and will be excreted through metabolism after entering the body.

Therefore, we can safely eat eggs, and eating 1-2 eggs a day will not cause hidden dangers to our health .

So, can high cholesterol patients eat eggs? The answer is that you can eat it, but you need to control the amount.

Patients with high cholesterol should control their cholesterol intake within 300 mg per day. According to the cholesterol content of eggs (585 mg/100 g), patients with high cholesterol can eat 1 egg per day . But it should be noted that after eating eggs, you should eat less other foods high in fat, such as meat.

Eggs have high nutritional value, and eating them in moderation can add points to your health. Be careful not to eat too many eggs in one day, just 1-2 eggs a day, after all, a balanced diet is the way to be healthy!

References:

[1] " Another benefit of eggs was discovered! But how to eat is very important, many people still don't know ". Popular Science China. 2022-6-26

[2] " Eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, quail eggs... Which has the highest nutritional value? 》.Guangzhou Daily.2017-06-30

[3] " Eating eggs will cause cholesterol to rise? Experts give clear answers! 》.Health Times.2019-10-10

Reproduction is prohibited without the author's permission