and now they're bad again.
A researcher from Western University in London, Ont., has come out against eggs. Those delicious and, so we thought, healthy breakfast items of protein and carbs are apparently almost as bad for your arteries as smoking, he says.
In fact, the university is saying that a single egg can actually be worse than a KFC Double Down.
Based on data from 1,231 men and women of varying ages, Dr. David Spence found that eating egg yolks regularly is about two-thirds as bad as smoking for building up carotid plaque in your arteries, which increases your risk of stroke and heart attack.
"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.
But not everyone is convinced.
Dr. Spence counters 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.
A nutrition officer with the Egg Farmers of Canada was quick to counter the research, though.
"We have decades of clinical research demonstrating no link between egg consumption and an increased risk of heart disease," Karen Harvey told CBC.
The research was published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, but the same journal only a year ago published this article about the health benefits of eggs.
"Dietary recommendations should not be based on eliminating eggs, an excellent source of nutrients and other components that provide benefits that extend beyond nutrition," reads a key paragraph in that post, refuting much of Dr. Spence's claims.
Apparently, more research remains to be done.
A researcher from Western University in London, Ont., has come out against eggs. Those delicious and, so we thought, healthy breakfast items of protein and carbs are apparently almost as bad for your arteries as smoking, he says.
In fact, the university is saying that a single egg can actually be worse than a KFC Double Down.
Based on data from 1,231 men and women of varying ages, Dr. David Spence found that eating egg yolks regularly is about two-thirds as bad as smoking for building up carotid plaque in your arteries, which increases your risk of stroke and heart attack.
"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.
But not everyone is convinced.
Dr. Spence counters 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.
A nutrition officer with the Egg Farmers of Canada was quick to counter the research, though.
"We have decades of clinical research demonstrating no link between egg consumption and an increased risk of heart disease," Karen Harvey told CBC.
The research was published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, but the same journal only a year ago published this article about the health benefits of eggs.
"Dietary recommendations should not be based on eliminating eggs, an excellent source of nutrients and other components that provide benefits that extend beyond nutrition," reads a key paragraph in that post, refuting much of Dr. Spence's claims.
Apparently, more research remains to be done.
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