Regular consumption of eggs is associated with a 29 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related death in relatively healthy older adults, new research from a Monash University-led team has found.
Published in the Journal Nutrients, the researchers found that for relatively healthy older adults, consuming eggs one to six times per week was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (death from any cause) and CVD mortality compared to those who rarely or never eat eggs.
The study involved 8756 adults aged 70 years or older, who self-reported the frequency of their total egg intake: never/infrequently (rarely/never, or one-two times/month), weekly (one-six times/week), and daily (daily/several times per day), as part of the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP) sub-study.
First author Holly Wild, a PhD candidate and lecturer from the Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said that compared to older adults who never or infrequently ate eggs (up to to twice a month), those who ate eggs one-six times a week had a 15 per cent lower risk of death from any cause, and a 29 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related death.
“Eggs are a nutrient-dense food, they are a rich source of protein and a good source of essential nutrients, such as B vitamins, folate, unsaturated fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins (E, D, A, and K), choline, and numerous minerals and trace elements,” Ms Wild said.
“Eggs are also an accessible source of protein and nutrition in older adults, with research suggesting that they are the preferred source of protein for older adults who might be experiencing age-related physical and sensory decline.”
The study also explored the relationship between egg consumption and mortality across different levels of diet quality (low, moderate, high).
“The study found that older adults with a moderate to high diet quality reported a 33 per cent and 44 per cent lower risk of CVD-related death, suggesting that the addition of eggs to moderate and high-quality diets may improve longevity,” the researchers wrote.
The current Australian Dietary Guidelines and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that adults with normal cholesterol can eat up to seven eggs per week, while some European countries suggest limiting it to three-four eggs per week. The AHA also supports up to two eggs per day for older adults with normal cholesterol.
“Previous research has observed a higher risk of mortality with egg consumption for those who have high cholesterol. For this reason, we also explored the association between egg consumption and mortality in people with and without dyslipidemia (clinically diagnosed high cholesterol),” Ms Wild said.
“We found a 27 per cent lower risk of CVD-related death for participants with dyslipidemia who consumed eggs weekly, compared to their counterparts that consumed eggs rarely or never, suggesting that in this study cohort, the presence of dyslipidemia does not influence the risk associated with egg consumption.
“Our results suggest that eating up to six eggs a week may reduce the risk of death from all causes and cardiovascular related diseases in older adults. These findings may be beneficial in the development of evidence-based dietary guidelines for older adults.”
