The cholesterol theory of cardiovascular disease states that dietary cholesterol is a cause of elevated levels of plasma cholesterol and elevated plasma cholesterol are a cause of atherosclerosis, which is in turn a cause of cardiovascular disease. The problem with this theory is that it is not supported by evidence and each assertion in the theory is provably false. Cholesterol in the diet for example, does not elevate plasma levels of cholesterol in healthy individuals. Further, plasma cholesterol is associated with, but is not the cause of cardiovascular disease. Lastly many individuals have atherosclerotic plaques but do not die from cardiovascular disease or show any outward symptoms. Nonetheless, proponents of the theory have decided that eggs are detrimental to the health because they contain cholesterol and as a result eggs consumption has been vilified for decades due to the obsession over dietary cholesterol. This is unfortunate, because eggs are a healthy food and should be part of a healthy diet.
For example (eggsample?), in one study1 researchers investigated the association between egg consumption and type 2 diabetes in middle aged and older men from Finland. The study population included 2332 men ages 42 to 60 years at baseline, with the men being followed for up to 20 years in order to assess the effects of diet on their health. The results of the study showed that those with the highest consumption of eggs had a 38 % reduced risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those with the lowest consumption of eggs. The authors also noted an inverse association between egg consumption and risk factors for metabolic syndrome, including plasma glucose levels and C-reactive protein. As type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, these results support previous studies that show a beneficial cardioprotective effect for eggs. Eggs may reduce type 2 diabetes because they have beneficial glycaemic effects, significantly slowing the absorption rate of glucose.
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