In a study from the University of South Australia, scientists found that excess egg consumption can increase the risk of diabetes.
Diabetes is a serious chronic health condition that occurs when there is too much glucose in the blood.
Over time high blood sugar levels can damage the body’s blood vessels and nerves, leading to long-term health complications such as heart, kidney, and eye disease, and nerve damage in the feet.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, affecting approximately 85 to 90 percent of all people with diabetes.
In type 2 diabetes, the body still produces some insulin, but it may not be enough or work well enough to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes can be managed with lifestyle changes such as losing weight (if overweight), healthy eating, and engaging in regular physical activity but often medications such as tablets or insulin may also be required.
One egg has only 75 calories but 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 grams of fat, and 1.6 grams of saturated fat, along with iron, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.
The egg is a powerhouse of disease-fighting nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin.
But Eggs are also loaded with cholesterol—about 200 milligrams for an average-sized egg. That’s more than double the amount in a Big Mac. Fat and cholesterol contribute to heart disease.
The link between eating eggs and diabetes is unclear.
In the current study, scientists aimed to examine the association between long-term egg intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes in Chinese adults.
They tested a total of 8545 adults who attended the China Health and Nutrition Survey from 1991 to 2009. These people reported their egg intake.
Diabetes was diagnosed based on fasting blood glucose in 2009.
The team found about 11% of the participants had diabetes in 2009. Egg intake nearly doubled in 2009 from 16 g/d in 1991.
Compared with people who ate the least amount of eggs, people who ate more eggs had higher risks of type 2 diabetes.
The results suggested that higher egg intake was positively linked to the risk of diabetes in Chinese adults.
The study was published in the British Journal of Nutrition and conducted by Dr. Ming Li et al.
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