Egg Yolks Almost As Unhealthy As Smoking According To New StudyEgg Yolks Almost As Unhealthy As Smoking According To New Study By Piasoft (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Dr. David Spence, head of a study on the effects of egg yolks and cardiovascular health for the Western University in London, Ontario says that if you are at risk for vascular disease you should avoid eating egg yolks.
The study has shown that egg yolks have an affect on the cardiovascular system similar to that of smoking, including clogging up the carotid artery and increasing the risk of stroke.
The study was conducted among 1200 people of mixed gender taking part in an initiative to help stop heart disease. Ultrasounds showed that artery plaque increased in similar amounts with those that ate eggs and those that smoked.
“The study also found those eating three or more yolks a week had significantly more plaque area than those who ate two or fewer yolks per week,” the press release around the study says.
Not everyone is convinced of the results.
Dr. Spence explained to the Vancouver Sun, that this is actually nothing new, though.
“The mantra ‘eggs can be part of a healthy diet for healthy people’ has confused the issue. It has been known for a long time that a high cholesterol intake increases the risk of cardiovascular events, and egg yolks have a very high cholesterol content. In diabetics, an egg a day increases coronary risk by two to five-fold,” he said.
Karen Harvey, a nutrition officer and registered dietician with the national organization, added that it’s unfair to compare egg yolks with smoking.
“It goes without saying that smoking is considered one of the most harmful activities when it comes to your personal health and wellness,” Harvey said.
“We have decades of clinical, scientific research that demonstrates no link between egg consumption and an increased risk for heart disease.”
The study was published online in the journal Atherosclerosis.
I find the study as reported to be vague to say the least. This was for the most part a survey of peoples eating habits, focussing on egg eating. Did the survey also include how much fried food a person ate each day? Or how much red meat? Or how much junk food? These could be the culprits just as easily as the eggs. Of course moderation in everything, but saying it is similar to smoking is a ridiculous statement that no good scientist with good data would make.
What kind of eggs? Hormonal/antibiotic laden eggs? They have no real food value anyway, & very high in cholesterol…. it’s complicated….. but HEALTHY chicken eggs & especially raw-are not high in cholesterol! So, looks like a champaign against eggs now, huh? Just like coconut oil. What a joke. I smell GMO.
Egg yolks are not the problem. Particularly organic pasture raised chickens who provide higher quality eggs. Quality fats are essential to a healthy diet – high quality egg yolks are an excellent source of quality fat. I wonder who funded the study? Healthy fats are essential to human physiology. Sugar is a much bigger culprit in this situation. Refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup – these are the culprits in these issues. They are in everything and are a huge issue in the cause of systemic inflammation. Vascular disease is an inflammatory condition. Cholesterol is not the issue in vascular disease. The body needs healthy cholesterol to repair, as well as form hormones (in fact cholesterol is an important component of the brains mechanism for forming memories!) and other essential metabolic processes. Processed foods, excessive grain consumption and sugar….are the main culprits but then this is where the money is….
I fully agree with comments left by “K”. This is not a comprehensive study, just a random sampling of people’s eating habbits. I’m surprised that a doctor actually agreed to do this sort of incomplete research and then went on to publish the findings. Is there not a law against this sort of activity?
My goodness, who knows what to believe anymore.
I guess if he is wrong he will have egg on his face.
Can’t anyone take a good Yolk anymore ?
The research sponsor must have shelled out a lot of money for this study. I heard that he poached the results of another professor.
Howard, I would have said eggs-actly the same thing-I think that maybe his brain was fried or that he scrambled to release his findings. I think he’ll be walking on eggshells for a while…
Btw, egg yolks put a beautiful patina on silver. That’s what I use them for, anyhow…and yup, I DO eat them too!
Well pun Jo
New study recently said that raw eggs put over a burn prevent scaring but did not say if you could still use the egg afterwards for an omelette.
Hi
I had a heart attack at the age of 40. After reading a study done by Havard University I started eating 3 eggs a day. I had another dye test done and some of my existing blockages have reduced. There is something in the yolk that cleans your liver and in return your liver cleans your body. My doctor at first told me not to eat them but after seeing my blood work told me to continue what I was doing.The Harvard study was on over 20000 people of whom almost all inproved their health eating eggs. The finding they had is that the cholesterol in eggs passes through your system causing no harm at all.Sorry but I am living proof of the benifits of eggs.
While I am tempting to blame the doctors that completed this study, I think the media has a lot of responsibility in the way they get the information out. This is a cheap “attention grabber” headline, without much facts. Who knows, if we would read the study and get all the actual facts of the study, we might see it from a different angle. Shame of you MEDIA to provide this “scared tactic” headline, without providing more factual elements that would help the reader to better understand how you came to this conclusion. For once, try to print The Truth, Just The Truth and Only The Truth!
I know of a famous Physicist Prof. John Dobson of Californis who is 96 and eats 4 boiled eggs every day. Just recently eggs were considered one of the healthy foods. Now this genius of Western Ontario Univ. has come up with this earth shattering research to ban eggs from our diet. He should publish his results and try to get vetted by JAMA. If JAMA agrees with this then we may believe.
This is so silly … in the words of my very wise great grandmother, who lived to be 96. “Everything in moderation” It’s not rocket science.
My last physical was 100% perfect. I eat eggs at least 3 times a week and feel GREAT. What gets my blood pressure up is STUPID studies like this. I would love to see a study that would REALLY help out the public!
You are nuts pure and simple, trying to make a name for your self no doubt, this survey does not mean a thing.
Just a thought: How many people included in this research were having bacon, sausages or any other greasy sides with their eggs?