Egg intake linked to diabetes risk

By Amy Norton, Reuters

People who sit down to a daily breakfast of eggs may have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.

Photograph by: David Silverman, Getty Images

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who sit down to a daily breakfast of eggs may have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.
In a long-term study of 57,000 U.S. adults, researchers found that those who ate an egg a day were 58 percent to 77 percent more likely than non-egg-eaters to develop type 2 diabetes.
The findings, published in the journal Diabetes Care, do not necessarily mean that eggs themselves put people on a path to diabetes, according to the researchers. But they do suggest it is wise to limit your egg intake.
"Based on the current data, our recommendations would be to consume eggs in moderation and not to exceed six eggs per week," lead researcher Dr. Luc Djousse, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, told Reuters Health.
The study does not explain exactly why eggs are linked to diabetes, but cholesterol may play a role. The study participants' daily cholesterol intake was also related to diabetes risk, and when the researchers factored this in, the relationship between egg intake and diabetes weakened. Read more...