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 New Australian research is challenging once again the Heart Foundation's recommendations regarding egg consumption. Dr Manny Noakes of the CSIRO wellbeing diet fame is a co-author on a paper published today in the British Journal of Nutrition which has shown that eating two eggs a day cooked the right way (that is without the fatty bacon, butter, chipolatas and other sources of saturated fat), did not adversely affect cholesterol levels in people with Type 2 diabetes.
This is groundbreaking research because so many people stop eating eggs because they believe they are high in cholesterol and will increase their cholesterol levels. While it is true that eggs are high in dietary cholesterol, this has no effect on blood cholesterol. Our own liver makes cholesterol from saturated fat, so it’s the company the egg keeps that potentially is a problem. This research looked at 60 people both men and women aged between 20 and 75 years of age with Type 2 Diabetes. They achieved an average weight loss of 6.2 per cent of their body weight (approx 6 kg) in 12 weeks. As well as losing weight, their blood glucose control improved, their blood pressure was lower and their levels of folate and the antioxidant lutein were higher, which is a great result.
Obviously weight loss is also a cornerstone for diabetes management but this research shows including eggs as part of your weight loss regime - even as many as 14 a week - has no adverse effects on cholesterol levels.
How many eggs?
So. the bottom line is good news for egg lovers. You can eat 14 a week even if you have diabetes as long as they are cooked in a healthy way. Enjoy them poached, boiled, scrambled without saturated fat and served with other healthy foods like spinach, tomatoes or mushrooms. They are a very inexpensive way to eat heaps of goodness.
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