Eating eggs does not seem to raise the risk of diabetes in middle-aged men

DIABETES

Eating eggs does not seem to raise the risk of diabetes in middle-aged men

THE QUESTION People with diabetes usually have higher-than-normal cholesterol levels, and some experts believe that high cholesterol is a risk factor for diabetes. Might avoiding eggs — which are high in cholesterol — help prevent diabetes?

THIS STUDY analyzed data on 2,332 middle-aged and older men, most in their mid-50s, who did not have diabetes or heart disease at the start of the study. Over a nearly 20-year period, 432 were diagnosed with diabetes. Overall, higher egg consumption correlated with lower risk for diabetes. Men who reported eating the most eggs, including individual eggs and those used in cooking — amounting, on average, to a little more than half of a medium-size egg a day — were 38 percent less likely to have developed diabetes than those who ate the least, about one medium egg a week.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Middle-aged and older men. More than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes, more men than women. Eating a healthful diet is an important way to prevent diabetes among those at risk. Eggs, which, on average, have about 200 milligrams of cholesterol, also are high in protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, which are all important elements of a healthful diet. The authors of the study noted that the findings “suggest that the recommendations to limit the consumption of eggs (or any food) in a general healthy population should not be based on a single component in a food, such as the cholesterol in eggs.”

CAVEATS Dietary data came from records kept by the study participants, but only at the very beginning of the study. Whether the findings would affect women was not tested.

By Linda Searing   ---- Washington post