Eating eggs may improve blood lipids

New research published in the journal Metabolism suggests that including eggs as part of a weight loss diet may have a positive effect on lipoprotein profiles for individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of at least three of the following risk factors: large waistline, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar. People with the syndrome have an increased likelihood of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In the study, middle-aged men and women with metabolic syndrome consumed either three whole eggs or an equivalent amount of an alternative to egg daily as part of a carbohydrate-restricted, weight loss diet. While the participants eating whole eggs were consuming twice as much cholesterol as they had at the beginning of the study, the researchers observed no effects on total blood cholesterol or LDL cholesterol after 12 weeks on the diet. All participants, including those consuming whole eggs, had improved lipid profiles with decreases in plasma trigylcerides and increases in HDL cholesterol.

Weight management plays an important role in preventing and managing metabolic syndrome and eating eggs could assist by helping people to feel fuller for longer.