Eggs have been in the news quite a lot recently with the nine egg a day diet – something I certainly would not recommend, by the way, as the key to a healthy diet is always balance and moderation. I would, however, recommend including eggs, preferably free range and organic in your diet on a regular, if not daily basis, especially as new research has suggested that eating two eggs a day may help you lose weight and cut cholesterol.

 

Previously, there was thought to be a direct link between cholesterol rich foods such as eggs and an increase in blood cholesterol levels which raises the risk of heart disease. But recent research from Surrey University published in the European Journal of Nutrition has found that those who ate two eggs a day while on a calorie restricted diet recommended by the British Heart Foundation not only lost weight but saw a reduction in their cholesterol levels. Experts believe eating eggs for breakfast contributes to weight loss by making people feel fuller for longer.

 

The research shows that there is no convincing evidence to suggest that there is a link between eggs and high cholesterol. In fact eggs make a nutritional contribution to a heart healthy diet. It is saturated fat found in pastry, processed meats, biscuits and cakes that is more responsible for raising blood cholesterol than cholesterol rich foods such as eggs, which are low in saturated fat.

 

Other recent research from Pennsylvania State University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that snacking on pistachio nuts twice a day can also lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Nuts, like pistachios, are thought to reduce the risk of a range of illness because they are high in immune boosting antioxidants.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 2:30 am and is filed under Heart Disease, In the News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.