BEIC comment on article in Clinical Nutrition on egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease
The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has reiterated that there is no convincing evidence of a link between consuming eggs as part of a healthy diet and risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A paper published in Clinical Nutrition1 on 11 March 2021 analysed several large US surveys to investigate associations between egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes or coronary heart disease. The authors concluded that egg consumption is not associated with risk of heart disease but suggested an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in people eating more than 2 eggs a week.
“Other observational studies – for example a study of nearly 40,000 Danish adults published this week – have found that eggs are linked with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, or have no link2,” says UK dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton.
The Danish study3 found that swapping 100g of red meat for a serving of eggs lowered diabetes risk by nearly 3 per cent.
“Eggs contain negligible carbohydrate, are low in fat, high in protein and rich in vitamin D. Clinical trials have reported that eggs support weight management4 – which is a benefit for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. High egg diets, providing 12 eggs a week, have been shown to be safe in people living with type 2 diabetes5.”
“Eggs are safe for everyone to eat. The NHS advises that eggs are a good choice as part of a healthy, balanced diet and there is no limit on how many eggs people can eat, a recommendation which is backed by all major UK heart and health advisory bodies,” concludes Dr Ruxton.