Eggs: nutritional and health importance for the general population and patients with statin therapy

Czech version

Authors: Tereza Dudková; Lukáš Zlatohlávek
Authors‘ workplace: III. interní klinika – klinika endokrinologie a metabolismu 1. LF UK a VFN v Praze
Published in: AtheroRev 2024; 9(3): 135-141
Category: Reviews

Overview

Although dietary cholesterol is far from the only component of the diet that influences serum lipid levels, its high content in egg yolk has led to an ongoing debate about the impact of egg consumption on human health. Eggs contain many important macronutrients and micronutrients, but one hen’s egg (size M) provides over 50 % of the daily recommended cholesterol intake. The composition of eggs from different avian species, even within a species, has some variability, but the cholesterol content is always around 10–18 mg/g yolk. Meta-analyses agree on the safe consumption of about 1 egg per day in healthy populations, but point to increasing health risks with increased consumption (especially with regard to cancer). Regarding the effect of egg consumption on the lipid profile in statin-treated patients, not only do we not have a sufficient number of studies to draw general conclusions, but the results of these studies are not in agreement.

Keywords:

dietary cholesterol – hen's egg yolk – serum lipid – statin therapy

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Athero Review

2024 Issue 3