Egg intake and cardiovascular disease: a scientifi c literature review

Eggs are a highly nutritive food. They contain high quality protein and several nutrients with potential health benefi ts. Nevertheless, the appearance of cardiovascular disease as an important public health issue, with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide, along with the identifi cation of high blood cholesterol levels as a risk factor for this disease, was responsible for the advice to limit dietary cholesterol (and, therefore, eggs) that was promoted by health care professionals and institutions during the 70s. To date, several cohort studies show that the intake of one egg a day does not increase cardiovascular risk in the general population. However, this evidence is not clear among diabetic patients, and raises the question whether its consumption in large quantities is entirely safe in this particular population. Additionally, intervention studies have shown that egg consumption does not adversely affect cardiovascular risk factors neither in healthy individuals nor in those with cardiometabolic disease. Moreover, these studies suggest that the incorporation of egg to the diet could bring additional benefits such as promoting a less atherogenic lipid profile.